Tip failure

[DC]

It's definitely on my do not use list

[wizardgoat]

Don, my horn overlays all end up around 1-1 1/2" when done, but I'm a small pin nock kind of guy.
Just my preference.

[chamookman]

Good job on the fix ! Bob

[stuckinthemud]

I use those timbers a fair bit (not for bows!); they are full of silica deposits, have reverse grain, and spiral grain, and are very brittle. These types of timber are incredibly hard to identify and are frequently mis-identified as various types of walnut and of mahogany, especially when being re-cycled. In general they are best worked across the grain and are easily split when force is applied along the grain, like a bow-string might do, but they don't split cleanly, they break out in chunks, exactly like in the photo. They need enough mass to resist the force, so long, deep overlays should be ok but still, I wouldn't risk it.....

[Eric Krewson]

I made one flintlock stock out of figured walnut, I don't think I want to make another for the reasons stickinthemud mentioned, nightmarish stuff to work.

[Jim Davis]

I know it's largely a matter of taste, but I rarely do overlays. Never had either an overlay or a plain tip fail.

[Springbuck]

 A little tip I like for overlays, esp with wood like that, all dark and hard to see the grain, is to glue small scrap bits and slats together, and then use them with the slices vertical, like actionwood.  The glues are really strong, glue lines almost invisible, and since the grain of one piece is never exactly matched up to the one next to it, you won't have splitting problems.