2 Osage bows

[bassman211]

I made them with slight reflex, deflex.  The bows ended up with one ring of heart wood for the belly. The stave did not contain enough heart wood. The rest of the bows were sap wood. I used  quite a bit of belly heat on both bows, and they turned out good. Maybe all heart wood would have made better bows, but I am happy these 2 bows for what I had to work with. Did  any body  ever build them this way ?

[Lehtis]

Pictures/photos?

[bassman211]

Hard for me to believe no one on here has made sapwood back heartwood bellied Osage bows at one time or another that post here.

[Hamish]

Often, they are built from small diameter trunks, by necessity the sapwood is needed to get the required thickness. That's how I made them as a kid. They shot well, but I didn't know at the time that the usual method was to remove all the sapwood.

I have some staves that I have roughed out that I intend use the sapwood on the back, no more than 1 or 2 rings. Main idea was just a visual accent.
By all accounts that I have heard they behave at least as well as an all heartwood bow..

[bassman211]

Thanks  Hamish.....that was my thoughts also.