Steve, I don't know if I would rate it as highly as yew or osage, but it's pretty good bow wood from my experience. I can make the belly rounded and it doesn't seem to take much set. I also like how it is so easy to work - no knots or grain swirls. It's the easiest wood I've ever put a scraper to. If it wasn't so expensive to aquire it would be the perfect wood for beginner bowyers.