Would Yew Or Wouldn't Yew...

[WillS]

One of my (favourite) guitar students turned up with a couple of beautiful English yew staves and billets for me today, in exchange for a couple of free guitar lessons (hence why he's my fave!)  He works at a local outdoor activities centre and every time they need wood removing he checks with me if I need any of it, and if I say I'm interested he brings it over.  Today he brought me two 7 foot staves which will be perfect for some longbows/warbows, and about five 3-4 foot billets.

I was chopping the unwanted ends off them, and on one of them I found this.  Is this rot or just some funky colouration? If it is rot, will it be an issue and should be avoided, or would I be ok?  I have no idea how far into the log it travels, as the billet is 4 feet long and the other end is perfect.

[steve b.]

I wouldn't hesitate to treat that as though it didn't exist.  You don't know until you tear into it anyway. 

[WillS]

Ace, I'll split it and get it seasoning then.  Thanks! I'm hoping it leaves some really cool patterns in the finished bow.

[Del the cat]

I think I'd want to know how far it went.
I'd saw off an inch, and then another inch until you hit sound(ish) wood.
I know it may seem drastic, but to be honest that looks so rotten as to be a liability...
Better to find out the full story sooner than later.
You can't plan what to do until you know what you have.
A few black streaks will be character, but that looks rotten through.
Del

[MWirwicki]

It looks like "spalted" yew, to me.  Early wood rot.  Spalted wood can be desirable depending on what you use it for.  I don't see why it wouldn't hurt to divide the yew into billets as you normally would.  Yew'll see how far it goes for certain.  If it goes all the way through, I wouldn't think it would make a worthy selfbow but might make some nice laminates, duck calls, pen blanks or other non-structural projects.

[WillS]

Psh. You folks and your divided opinions. Don't know why I bother.... haha!

I need to split it anyway, and I guess once I've split it the belly will show exactly how deep any problems go.  I'm wary of chopping off the ends as it's just long enough for a proper longbow at the moment, and that's without taking the amount lost in a splice into account.  I do think the black sapwood is a slightly worrying sign though. 

If it does work out it'll look brilliant though, eh?!

The girlfriend is harping at me to make some shelves, so if it doesn't want to be a bow it's got a project lined up for it...

[Bryce]

Well.... Take the bark off and see what it looks like. But it already looks a little far gone.

[blackhawk]

No wonder the land owner wanted that removed it was dead from rot

[WillS]

Does that mean you wouldn't try it, or is an unknown at this stage?

[blackhawk]

Its an unknown until you open her up split n debark n see what ya got ...normally I don't debark fresh cut yew,but in this case I'd try to remove a full length strip to have a looksy after halving it...but halving it first will tell you a lot already...

[WillS]

I don't think I need to debark this to know it's pretty much "yew"sless! Gonna make some stunning shelves or picture frames though...

[Bryce]

I don't think I need to debark this to know it's pretty much "yew"sless! Gonna make some stunning shelves or picture frames though...

Yep.... Or stick a coupe pegs or hooks in the front. Picture hanger on the back VWALLAH! Bow rack!

[Thesquirrelslinger]

I thought yew was highly resistant to rot...
maybe yew could make some arrows out of it?

[Bryce]

I thought yew was highly resistant to rot...
maybe yew could make some arrows out of it?

Everything decomposes eventually

[steve b.]

I'd still work it.