Osage..... Please tell me

[vyadha]

Hi all
Ive been making bows for a few years now and have yet to try out Osage. Lots of ipe, black locust, ash and maple and some juniper. In the past year its been mostly boards as Ive gotten lazy. Lately Ive been daydreaming about osage. Please help facilitate my daydreaming by telling me what I'd be missing if I dont give osage a shot.

[DarkSoul]

I live in Europe. Not much osage around here. Yes, I could order some and that would be crazily expensive. I've got soooo many other woods (nearly) for free, that I would consider myself crazy if I spent the money on osage. I'm enjoying myself with a whole list of other wood species, so I don't feel like I'm missing out on something!

[Badly Bent]

Just try some sage and you'll know what you've been missing, you won't regret using osage. Very forgiving and has everything you could want or ask for in a bow wood. 
Greg

[blackhawk]

LONG LIVE THE KING!!!!!!!! 

[bushboy]

beautiful wood,to work with,holds up under over stressed designs and when finished the grain is striking as any exotic competetor!it's gold for a reason!

[missilemaster]

BOWYERS GOLD!

[Dvshunter]

You won't like it.  It turns your clothes yellow.   

You won't like it. It turns your brain yellow. 

Trust me, you won't like it.   

[vyadha]

Thanks all
Dark Soul thats been my thinking so far, so much less expensive stuff around here (California) that i havent felt the need to try it........ Until now.

Ive been making lots of boo backed stuff, I love ipe. Maybe a boo backed osage and ipe tri lam?

[seabass]

try it and  you will like it.my best bows are osage.at least give it a try.

[soy]

Its ok for a second string bow wood

[JonW]

I don't really know what California has to offer for bow wood but try some Black Locust and then you will almost know what Osage can do.

[PaulN/KS]

You won't like it.  It turns your clothes yellow.   

You won't like it. It turns your brain yellow. 

Trust me, you won't like it.   

Yep, that about sums it up...

[Pappy]

Lots of good bow wood out there but Osage is hard to beat,it can provide with some of the cleanest /straightest wood you will ever see or more often some of the most challenging wood you would ever want and everything in between.Tough and forgiving.
   Pappy

[Parnell]

I love experimenting with different woods and I imagine it will be part of what I do with bowmaking for a long time to come.  But the truth is, Osage is the best bow wood I've used.  It's not as "fast" as Ipe and as light weight as others, but if you just want to find the most useful in all categories of work, Osage is the best, hands down.

[George Tsoukalas]

I like osage too. It only grows in a small part of the country though. Sometimes, it is nice using home grown wood. Jawge