Osage pyramid bows?

[Sidewinder]

I am about to begin my first osage self bow. The first two bows I have made are hickory board bows made in the pyramid design. I like that design as I have heard they are good performers. My question is why don't I see more osage bows in that design? Is it because its a realativley new design and more people are just used to doing it with parallel limbs to within 15" of the tips or is there another design aspect to pyramid thats not as effective with the osage?  Danny

[Hillbilly]

You can build an osage pyramid, just go narrower at the fades. I would guess that the pyramid design is more efficient with the whitewoods that perform best with a wider, thinner limb. But, I don't know for sure. You don't see many osage pyramids.

[Trapper]

I build Osage pyramids all the time, its no different than any other woods as far as that goes Ive even made some 2 and 1/2 in. wide. works great. And looks way cool.   Trapper

[Iron Leg]

I am new to this (web site) but I do not think you need to make your Osage bow pyramid type.
Limbs will be so wide that the bow may wind up being only one growth ring.
Pyramid shape is great for white wood but not necessary for Osage
Any way have fun what ever you choose

[richpierce]

It does not take much osage to make a bow.  I agree, the limbs might be so thin with a wider osage bow they would be hard to tiller smoothly. A little thickness variation on a thinner limb is a greater proportion of the total.

[Justin Snyder]

It really depends on what you are calling a pyramid.  If you mean shorter with the limbs really wide at the fades and tapering to the tips, she will be really thin like Hillbilly said.  If you just mean a bow that tapers from the fades to the tips with no parallel section I say go for it.  I like 1 1/4" wide at the fades tapering to 1/2" at the tips.  A really skinny pyramid.  I would then narrow just the tips a bit more.  Justin

[Coo-wah-chobee]

Like Trapper said......bob

[Pat B]

I think a true pyramid is better made from a board rather than a stave. With a pyramid, most of the tiller is done from the sides being a straight taper with consistent limb thickness. The crown on a stave would prevent this type of tiller. I have made osage bows that taper straight from fade to tip. I guess they are pyramid shape but not a pyramid bow.  Pat

[Sidewinder]

Ok not a true pyramid but a pyramidish bow. I would suspect that with the movement in most osage grain and for character staves it might be difficult to hold to a pure pyramid.

I initially chose the pyramid design because it was described as a performance type design rather than a durable type design. I figured my bows would get more durable the more I got comfortable with making them and was looking for the best performance design I could get in an all wood, non recurved format. I just don't see many bows posted that are pyramid osage. I would like to do a 66" 1 1/2 at the fades to 3/8 tips at 65lbs. .  Am I inviting set by making it that wide or should I make it narrower? I like the look of a little wider fade tapering to the thin tips, but I don't want to over build it either because I want it to be as efficient as it can be.   Danny

[Pat B]

1 3/8" at the fades will give you what you are looking for in an osage bow. I have found osage to prefer limbs that are narrow and deeper with a bit of crown in the belly.    Pat

[Justin Snyder]

1 3/8" at the fades will give you what you are looking for in an osage bow. I have found osage to prefer limbs that are narrow and deeper with a bit of crown in the belly.    Pat

Maybe even 1 1/4". Justin