Discolored osage

[Jakesnyder]

Anyone ever see something like this? What causes the discoloration?

[meanewood]

Is this the 'back' of your stave and have you chased a ring?
If so, It looks like the transition from early to late wood rather than a ring violation.
Maybe not!

[George Tsoukalas]

I agree.
Another note...be sure to follow that vertical grain when laying out the bow.
http://traditionalarchery101.com/layout.html

[Pat B]

If it's as hard as the rest of the wood don't worry about it. Could be a mineral stain or even a non-lethal fungal stain.

[Jakesnyder]

Yes it's the back and I've chased the ring. It's not a ring violation.  And yes pat b it's as hard as everything else.

[Jakesnyder]

So is between the early wood and late wood is there part that is still  latewood but the start of it is lighter till you get farther in the ring more? Hope it makes sense. Never noticed a difference before. I've been chasing rings for years now.

[Pat B]

Early wood is crunchy, honeycomb like and the late wood is hard and smooth.

[George Tsoukalas]

Just use a scraper or even a knife as a scraper  to GENTLY remove it. Jawge

[Jakesnyder]

Yes I will remove it. This ain't my first time chasing a ring it's not the crunchy early wood. It's within the late wood. It's hard to explain but I got my answer. Thanks

[Pat B]

Just go for it.   

[Hamish]

I can't be sure from the photo, and I can't see the end grain, but it looks to me like you have gone a little too deep into the late ring, into what some people call lunar rings. They're appear sort of like mini early wood rings in the latewood. You really only notice them on thick ringed wood.

You can either just continue on, not going any deeper on those spots that show up, or if you have plenty of wood underneath, go to the lower ring of earlywood an be a little more careful when scraping.

In all likelihood you probably haven't gone deep enough to compromise the back ring.

[Eric Krewson]

I see this every now and then, no big deal just the way some osage grows, I have found it not to be early wood transition just part of a late wood ring.