Why I think osage is an inferior bow wood...

[Knapper]

Osage, hickory, elm, oak, walnut. I just like bow wood!!!! If it will make a bow I like it!

[fishfinder401]

ok, now ryoon make a poplar warbow come on i dare you lol

[RyanY]

PatM, those are two really interesting points. You are a great source of knowledge.

mikekeswick, I appreciate the kind words. I definitely admire your work. Maybe one day we'll get together and make the perfect bow!

fishfinder401, I won't make any bow I'm dared to make! Unless you provide the materials. Ha.

[twilightandmist]

i will try it and get back to you, fishfinder. give me some time to select my stave, and i will try it!

[missilemaster]

Should I throw heat tempering wood into this discussion ? I pesonally have been doing quite a bit with buckthorn lately and I almost like it better than osage......almost   It has excellent tension, compression, is light weight, easy to work, charterer laden, beautiful and when heat tempered, takes practically no set. How do you like that wood Chris? You know, there is probably some wood out there in some jungle waiting to be dicovered by the western world that is better than osage.......Ipe?

    I'm loving this thread!

[fishfinder401]

i will try it and get back to you, fishfinder. give me some time to select my stave, and i will try it!

i genuinely can't wait to see how it turns out

[ionicmuffin]

i dont know if you have thought about this, but i think people from the outside would think we are bordering on the insane because we are discussing wood... 

[Gordon]

The problem with this discussion is that Tim's base premise that bows of the same length will be about the same thickness regardless of wood species or poundage is false. All you have to do to convince yourself of this is compare similar length bows made of yew and osage. I can't understand why he would believe such a thing.

[mikekeswick]

The problem with this discussion is that Tim's base premise that bows of the same length will be about the same thickness regardless of wood species or poundage is false. All you have to do to convince yourself of this is compare similar length bows made of yew and osage. I can't understand why he would believe such a thing.

Also black locust comes out thinner per poundage. Stiff stuff.

[Pappy]

Still going,great thread,I think that is what we learned Jawgs.
I agree Gordon,Hackberry and the latest wood I have helped out with Seagrape. Much thicker but both very light physical weight.  :)Still make a snappy bow.
   Pappy

[blackhawk]

To say all woods are equal is just untrue...if they are all equal then try and make them all the same dimensions as an osage bow and see what happens. Simply put osage is superior because it takes less wood to make a great bow. If were talking strictly wood properties that way then osage is number one.

[George Tsoukalas]

Why would that alone make osage superior to all other woods, blackhawk? I agree that  is a very fine bow wood and one of the best but it's not the only choice in town. In fact, as you know, it only grows in a very limited part of the US. I guess osage would be a good choice for people who like small bows but that's never really been an issue for me. The Native Americans in New England made a living with Black Locust and hickory bows and most of the Eastern Woodland bows were quite long. I finally got sucked into this thread.LOL. Jawge

[blackhawk]

Ya must've missed my last sentence George...judging by tension,compression,and elastic properties alone its number one,and that's what allows it to be smaller than other bows. Make those others the same dimension and try to get the same bend with them and see what happens. Are they equal now?

We are past the point that design can make a lot of other woods equal to osage.

Even if you adjust your dimensions to make it equal in set loss and cast, I believe the majority of the time osage can take more abuses such as overdraw,being dinged,etc...make ten bows,all 50" long,5 of ash and 5 of osage and design both correct. Tiller all to 65@25". Now overdraw all those bows a couple inches+ repeatedly shooting them and see what happens. The osage will hold up better because it is stronger in tension,compression,and a higher elastic modulus.

[Dean Marlow]

Well said blackhawk. Tension and compression and elactisity. The three words that describe Osage.

[iowabow]

Real data please!
Please tell me why this debate extends beyond the primitive function.
Data 60# osage 640 grain flint tipped arrow at 18 yards with double penetration and cutting through a rib. So please tell me why again why I need more FPS with a white wood? just thought I would get to the meat of the discussion.