This is a direct quote from a commercial UK bowyer. It was sent as an answer to an E-mail sent from a guy starting his journey in bowmaking. He forwarded it to me for comment.
No names, but you can probably guess.
I find this sort of thing quite upsetting as it does bowmaking in the Uk and our tradition a huge disservice.
I've highlighted the worst bits.
I don't know if this man is just a poor bowyer, deliberately trying to misslead in order to push his products or is just daft.
"Don't take this the wrong way, I am sure that you are keen and enthusiastic,
I was once, now that we have made over 20,000 bows we have learned a lot
along the way. Yes I have tried to make bows from most woods. There is
nothing that grows in the UK that will make a good bow, never was.
Historically some of our native woods could be used to make a plausible flat
bow but rarely a D section longbow of any weight.
English Yew does not make successful bows, never did, the way wood grows in
our climate means that you get far too much early growth wood and very
little late growth wood, this makes the sapwood too thick. If you reduce it
then it will be brittle and fail. If you look at the Mary Rose bows you
will see a totally different material from the knotty nasty wood that you
see many re-enactors using.
I have seen literally hundreds of knotty yew bows, chunky lumps that do not
shoot well."
I suggested my friend contact one of the less bigoted bowyers in the uk who produces a better product in smaller quantities.
Del
(Mods, please feel free to remove this if you feel it is out of order)
