curly Osage (finished pics page 4)

[Josh B]

This weekend I find myself spending the weekend in Williams IA and decided to do a little bow work.  My youngest daughter has outgrown her oak bow and give me pretty specific instructions on what she would like to see in her new bow.  First off, she don't want no girly feather bow nor does she want any pink girly stuff on her bow or arrows!  Ok....got it.  So I asked what she did want.  Out came the back issues of PA.  She decided that she wanted a snakey bow like Will makes with rattlesnake skins, but...she wants rattles carved into the tips and an arrow shelf like her mom's bow, but not Brown wood!  She wants yellow wood like her sister's bow.  Ok...I'll try says I!  So I dig around and find a wiggly Osage stave about the right length and get to work roughing it out.  While working it, I noticed something odd in appearance on the grain.  I took it outside in the sunlight and danged if it isn't curly!  That was about a month ago.  I just started back on it today and got it to floor tiller and couldn't help myself from shaping the handle to see what the grain was going to look like.  Wow!  Beautiful stuff!  The pics don't show it well, but turning it in the sunlight really brings out the beauty in this stuff.  Josh

[Josh B]

Curly Osage seems to be quite rare and despite it's beauty, I have mixed feelings about discovering it in my daughter's bow stave.  My reservations come from the only other curly Osage I've ever seen turned out to be very poor selfbow wood.  This piece has excellent ring structure and ratio, but I am a bit concerned about how it will turn out.  Time will tell I guess.  Here's where I got to today with it.  This is as far as I'll go until I get home.  I don't want to take any chances on screwing up such a rare stave because of my crude bow making methods on the road.  Josh

[Drewster]

Oh sweet!   Curly but not girly.  That's going to be a fine one.  Keep us posted.

[bowandarrow473]

Nice! I'd love to see what the finished product looks like!

[Pat B]

Josh, you may want to back it with rawhide or silk. It would at least keep it from really blowing apart.
 I'm sure this makes a Dad feel better. 

[Josh B]

Thanks fellas!
Pat...it is most definitely getting rawhide.  The wood feels good and sounds good when you tap on the tip.  Good solid ring to it like normal Osage, but I am planning on taking every precaution before it ever gets put in her hands.  Josh

[osage outlaw]

Does it feel kind of wet and rubbery when you bend it?  Is the draw weight light for the dimensions?  That's how my curly osage bow felt.  It acted like it had soaked in water over night.  I hope yours turns out better than mine did. 

[Josh B]

So far it just feels like good quality Osage.  As Rich likes to say, when you bend it, it feels like it wants to get back straight...fast.  I'm hoping for the best.  Josh

[wizardgoat]

Story made me laugh, can't wait to see the finished bow Josh

[Pappy]

Beautiful so far, I didn't have very good luck with my Curly Osage, hope you have better luck because it is beautiful wood and rare to find.
 Pappy

[Aaron H]

I think it's awesome that she knows exactly what she wants, and has all the confidence that Dad can pull it off.  Can't wait to see it finished Josh

[blackhawk]

Josh...are you sure what your seeing is figured wood? I cant see any figure across the back and belly like clints was...i think what your seeing are the medullary rays on the edge grain which can be fairly common sometimes with osage. Id like to see some closer up pics across the back and belly...clints was so prominent that it was clearly visible even in a fuzzy pic. Hope ya prove me wrong pal   

[Josh B]

Thanks fellas!
My camera sucks, but I think I captured a little bit of the curl on the back.  Here ya go Chris.  Josh

[blackhawk]

Thats what i was looking for...thanks buddy!!! 

[osage outlaw]

I see it.  Do the grain lines wiggle back and forth tightly?