If you scour the web for comments about violating growth rings, you will actually find more comments from people downplaying the value unviolated growth rings, such as this:
http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=print_topic;f=125;t=001618Posted by Roy Steele (Member # 18965) on July 18, 2009 03:18 PM:
Hickory is one of favored bow woods and I've built at least 15 unbacked bows.Some had violated rings that were great bows.
If your worryed back it but sinew is a long drawen out messy job thats not nessary with hickory.
My all time favorite bow was a hickory with violat rings that was barnished.
Posted by ChristopherO (Member # 12490) on July 18, 2009 02:05 PM:
A Hickory Board Bow has a violated back from the get go and I've not had one break, yet. Not that I've made many but a few that are very strong
A good number of people also report higher performance in violated bows, such as this example:
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=43071.0I built a d bow that is 56" long 55# @ 26" and it has 5 different rings on the back. It is violated the whole way and I actually tillered it like that all the way then glued some cotton bed sheets on it. That thing is SOOOOOOOO fast!!!!!!!!!
Of course these are just three examples but there's a treasure trove of comments like this online.
What will you do, to determine the cause of this apparent superior performance?