Osage orange bow staves

[Hamish]

Prices have definitely gone up. It was common to get a decent stave, usually with the sapwood off, back sealed for $40-70, for many years. Not just with ebay, but over the last 20 or more years prices stayed flat, despite inflation.
I hate paying more than I have to, but the higher prices are a more accurate reflection on the worth of a nice osage bowstave, especially with all the extra prep work.

There seems to be a line with some semi/pro bowyers. They charge $300-400 for a decent  finished osage or yew bow, despite the retail value of the stave, which they may have gotten for free(nothing is really free, when you count labour, haulage).

Many bowyers really under value the price of their materials and labour, when compared with other craftsmen, such as luthiers, cane fly rod makers, or even fg bow makers.

[Muleman]

i just got back from ojam and made a bow plus came back with 4 extra osage staves these primitive gatherings are great for picking up stuff that you cant get locally

[BowEd]

I gotta make it to that event sometime.

[WhistlingBadger]

I'd love to try osage someday, but WOW, that's a lot of money for a piece of wood...Now that I have a couple good hunting bows and the pressure's off, I think I'll keep experimenting with the local woods.  More work, more memories, more connection to the land I hunt.  And less money.   

[bjrogg]

i just got back from ojam and made a bow plus came back with 4 extra osage staves these primitive gatherings are great for picking up stuff that you cant get locally

That’s what I’m talking about Muleman.
Really if there’s any way you can make it to one of these events, by all means Go.

I’m very frugal. I haven’t had even a dollar in my pocket for months now. The first meet I went to I spent all my money I had with me and wished I had brought more.

One other tip. Fill your gas tank as soon as you get there so you have enough to get back home.

Bring stuff to trade. I get a lot of my stuff through trades. I’ve made some really good friends and connections that way.

Bjrogg

PS $40 or $70 bucks seems like a lot until you drag a log from the bottom of a ravine, load it up and take it home. Peel the bark, chase a ring, seal the back and ends and store it away for a couple years.

Don’t be afraid your getting screwed.lol  and the real screw job is shipping

[Jon_W]

Elm,ironwood,and hickory are top notch bow woods for me here.In fact if these white woods are harvested in the spring with the sap beginning to flow the bark pops off easily.It's the back of the bow there.No rings to chase.

I don't want to hijack the conversation but when you say the sap is beginning to flow would that mean around sugaring time for maple trees? So if I am collecting sap for maple syrup I can also cut and peel bow wood from HHB or elm?

[bjrogg]

Elm,ironwood,and hickory are top notch bow woods for me here.In fact if these white woods are harvested in the spring with the sap beginning to flow the bark pops off easily.It's the back of the bow there.No rings to chase.

I don't want to hijack the conversation but when you say the sap is beginning to flow would that mean around sugaring time for maple trees? So if I am collecting sap for maple syrup I can also cut and peel bow wood from HHB or elm?

Most likely or soon after.  Try one and see. You’ll know pretty quick if the bark is going to slip.
I’ve never actually harvested one at that time. I usually did around mid may.

I have done winter harvested with a power washer and it worked really good. Left a perfect back.

 
Bjrogg

[bownarra]

Not only have prices gone up but the quality is down and 'shipping prices' are a total joke.....
Hamish - I was charging around £400 for an osage bow but now realistically it would need to be close to £550 for a 'profit'. The thing is though there are very few customers who want to pay a realistic price.....

[Swampman]

Elm,ironwood,and hickory are top notch bow woods for me here.In fact if these white woods are harvested in the spring with the sap beginning to flow the bark pops off easily.It's the back of the bow there.No rings to chase.

I don't want to hijack the conversation but when you say the sap is beginning to flow would that mean around sugaring time for maple trees? So if I am collecting sap for maple syrup I can also cut and peel bow wood from HHB or elm?

When you are collecting sap from Maple trees, it is still too early to harvest HHB or elm if you want the bark to slip.  I would say wait until leaves just start to bud out.  That is my experience in Minnesota anyway.

[BowEd]

I agree.I usually will harvest a log of hickory just when the leaves are beginning to show on the tree.

[bassman211]

Better to harvest good white wood than bad Osage. Been their done that. Some of my favorite bows are made from Black locust,elm, white oak, hickory ,blue beech etc..and many of which will rival the few good Osage bows that I own in over all performance. Since Osage is the king of self bow woods, and pristine wood is hard to come by I can understand why it costs what it does for a good stave.

[bownarra]

the whitewood bows can indeed be excellent but osage has that extra 'toughness' and 'elasticity' that means it just goes on and on and on....which when you are making bows for other people is worth a whole lot

[bassman211]

True, and the cost can be absorbed by the customer. I always wondered why longitudinal cracking  occurs from out of no were some times, and is it the nature of the wood , or makers error.

[BowEd]

This is all true about osage as I can attest to it first hand here.Locals here have used it for fence posts for decades and decades.Their still as good as ever keeping the cattle in.
I can also attest to some of my favorite whitewood bows still as good as ever well over a decade too.

[bownarra]

Shooting a bow tillered by yourself for yourself is a whole different thing to making one and then saying goodbye to it....you have no idea how it is going to be treated.