First Stave Selection Help.

[skarhand]

While you are doing board bows keep an eye out for trees/logs/staves that you can cut and have seasoning, 'cos by this time next year you will be hankering to try a stave.
Del
(we do like a good hanker...)

So I have had this bouncing around in my head since it was brought up in a different thread. I went out and looked at some of the trees on my property, but I have having a little trouble IDing them.
I was hoping that you all could help me figure out what they are, and if they are worth trying out. All of the ones I took pictures of are ones that I could definitely get +70" staves with no knots or bends.

(Also, I live in the Northern Tier of PA since region may help with narrowing the tree types)

The first one I am pretty sure is White Ash.


I have no clue on the second one.


I am thinking the third may be some type of birch or aspen? A little more info on these...they are very very tall, straight as arrows and the leaves are about the size of my open hand. There is a large number of them  growing on the east side of the creek that runs North/South through my property.


If none of these look promising, if I could get a recommendation for what I SHOULD be looking for in a first stave (in my region) I would be very grateful.

Skar

[NimRand]

The third one is sycamore.

[Blaflair2]

The second looks like a pin cherry.

[skarhand]

The third one is sycamore.

I wish I had take pictures of these from a distance. I don't think they are sycamore as the pictures I find on Google don't look like these trees. These are very tall and straight and most have no branches for the first 10-20'. I'll try and get some better pics tonight.

[George Tsoukalas]

I live in NH so ... but anyway. If you look at that first picture of the tree on the left, you'll see some spiral bark. That one will probably twist on you. Jawge

[autologus]

Third one is definitely Sycamore.

Grady

[skarhand]

I will gladly defer to people who have ID'd more trees then I. So being sycamore, is it usable for bow wood? They are very straight with no branches or blemishes, and I have probably 100 to choose from, so please say yes, lol.

[NeolithicMan]

the second one is a sumac, i think staghorn, the third is deffinetly sycamore, the first one seems to be an ash of some kind, i dont think its white though

[blackhawk]

Ash...sumac....sycamore without a doubt...where at in pa are you? I'm just north of Pitt...got plenty of wood id give ya for free to tear your novice teeth into...ya just gotta come down n pick it up if your close enough that is....anyways....if not I advise leaving those species alone for now,except maybe a really clean straight white ash(better than the one u posted)....go find your self some hickory,elms,oaks,eastern hophornbeam...there should be plenty of each of those species in your area and any most diameter tree or sapling will make a good bow ...

[skarhand]

Thanks guys! I live in Bradford County Just a couple miles south of the NY/PA border. I will keep looking for some better wood around here, and if I can scrounge up some extra gas money sometime, I'd love to come for a visit Blackhawk, even if it's just to see some of your work first hand and maybe even tricking you into teaching me something, lol.

[blackhawk]

Well dang...your on the wrong side of the state dude    your prob almost 6 hours away...but I reckon there's plenty of good white woods for you to choose from...and I don't think there's any osage that way....black locust is good too,but its best to chase a heartwood ring with that...the other woods mentioned you take the bark off carefully and that's the back of your bow

[skarhand]

Oh, bummer. I have been hoping to find an experienced bowmaker within a couple hours drive of here who wouldn't mind showing me a thing or two some Saturday. Build alongs and Youtube are great, but nothing is better then getting your hands dirty and getting stuff done, lol.

If you are eave headed north, let me know, my wife does some awesome home cookin' and we have extra chairs around the table.

[Blaflair2]

I live in ithaca, farmers planted osage in hedge rows 150 years ago. They're still up here. Just very few. Lots of white woods and walnut and cherry. Plenty of Pickens. I'm in the woods right now looking for some good blue beech.

[crooketarrow]

  First is ASH.
 ELM the two to the right.
 Next Bark looks like cherry but leaves are sumac.
 Last is SYCAMORE for sure.