Splinter Bow(Mountain Laurel)

[Sasquatch]

 I was splitting a 4" Mountain Laurel log that I got from the Texas Hill Country.  I ended up with two good bow staves, and im currently working on one.  As I was splitting the log a splinter came off and I liked the way it looked.  I wanted to make a kid bow simply to test the woods properties.  I spent the next 2hrs and this is what I had left.  I know this is not a work of art, but it dose shoot an arrow, and it hasent broken yet so ill keep it.  I also know that the tiller is weird, beacuse I didn't want to spent much time on it.  It's asemetrical, and has a slight hinge in both limbs, but I don't care on this bow. I never even put it on the tree. I just like the way the wood looks.  Its pretty much the same shape that it split like, minus alot of splinters.

 The main point of this post is to get some responces about this type of wood. Anybody have experience?
47'' NTN
18#@26
no finish( not yet)
String is 100lb braided fishing line( 1 strand)   

[ionicmuffin]

wow, very nice bow! good tiller job too

[Sasquatch]

Thanks Iconicmuffin,  I am really looking foward to putting my big boy bow out there.

[ionicmuffin]

i cant wait to see it! i wish i could get my hands on some of that  but then again, i say that for all those cool woods like erc, yew, osage, ect.

[blackhawk]

Good test there...now I know why you think it looks like yew...I was thinking the actual appearance of the tree and not the inside of the wood. And slimbob nailed the species in your other thread..that is also called mescal bean,and it shouldn't be confused with the mountain laurel that grows up n down Appalachia and into mississsippi...

[burn em up chuck]

       nice test, very attractive colors for wood

                                                           chuck

[Sasquatch]

Your right blackhawk, Slimbob  It is Mescalbean Sophora secundiflora.  In Texas we have to give everything our own name. Its an ego thing.  Never the less i'll start calling it Mescalbean so there is no confusion.  In the spring it produces large purple flowers, and it makes the Hills smell like purple grape flavor.  Thanks for yalls responces

[Keenan]

 Very nice bow, great to see some new types of wood being used!

[Marks]

Those rings are huge.

[Sasquatch]

Are you talking about the scrap Osage ?  Or the Mecscalbean?  In the sap wood of this species I cant even tell them apart.  Its very hard to trace.

[SLIMBOB]

You've answered one of my questions as to how it bends.  Looks pretty sweet.