Author Topic: common or irish yew for bowwood?  (Read 6167 times)

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Offline WillS

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Re: common or irish yew for bowwood?
« Reply #15 on: August 24, 2014, 05:42:14 pm »
Hate to be "that guy" but I hope you're getting permission to cut the branches and not just whipping off whatever looks good, as its totally illegal and kinda disrespectful...  I know it sounds boring as hell and patronising but please ask first!  Forestry Commission usually says yes if you approach them properly, and any private land owners tend to get quite excited by the idea of their wood being used for traditional uses such as bow making.  Not cool to steal the stuff though, and gives us as bow makers a bad name :)

If you do have permission, go nuts! And post pics!

(Is Irish yew still taxus baccata? Or is it actually a slightly varied species, a bit like torreya yew, or even taxus brevifolia?)

Offline Lucasade

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Re: common or irish yew for bowwood?
« Reply #16 on: August 24, 2014, 05:50:11 pm »
Irish yew is taxus baccata fastigiata. They all descend from one sapling found by a tenant farmer in Ireland - he found two, put one in his garden and gave the other to the squire. Only the squire's made it.

Offline sieddy

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Re: common or irish yew for bowwood?
« Reply #17 on: August 25, 2014, 03:24:20 am »
Fair point well made Lucasade- and duelt taken on board.
Thats a fascinating tale about irish yew- a remarkable gift from a simple irish 'croppie' to the world! :)
"No man ever broke his bow but another man found a use for the string" Irish proverb

Offline Lucasade

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Re: common or irish yew for bowwood?
« Reply #18 on: August 25, 2014, 04:37:25 am »
It's a bit off topic but the berries on yew are the only bit that isn't poisonous. They taste alright but make sure you don't bite into the seed!

Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: common or irish yew for bowwood?
« Reply #19 on: August 25, 2014, 09:09:34 am »
The English ran out of yew and started importing it from Spain. That's a lot of war bows. Jawge
Set Happens!
If you ain't breakin' you ain't makin!