"the string loop forced one end to "de-laminate" on a growth ring about 6" down the bow from the tip. So I glued it up with CA, wrapped it with sinew and put overlays on. The handle wood also popped off, so I glued that up and wrapped it with sinew as well."
This is funny because I have literally had every single problem with plum I can imagine.........except this one. It checks while drying, has wildly barber-poled grain, warps, bends, fights me on heat straightening, and always has a thousand knots where I live, but never this..... And despite all the issues, I am starting to love it, too. I have a really high success rate (not breaking bows) despite the drying issues.
H Rhodes: "Most of them are gnarly, short and twisted around here." I didn't know there was any other kind! But, when I can take a 36" X 2-1/2" leaning, curved branch or sucker of twisted, knotty wood, saw it lengthwise with a chainsaw, splice it, wrestle it to symmetry, and still make a mighty shooter, well, I'm cutting all I can find.....