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Author Topic: Hop Hornbeam  (Read 436 times)

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Offline Pinewood Archer

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Hop Hornbeam
« on: February 08, 2025, 06:09:18 pm »
Hello all, it has been far too long since I was here, in case anyone was wondering I'm still alive and kicking. Ended up moving to East Tennessee about 4 years ago from where I was in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains in New York and haven’t had much time to just live since but now I do.
Any ways, enough of the catching up, I was wondering if anyone here has any experience with Hornbeam and would know if it’s good for bow making. I want to make a longbow that would double as a walking staff and have threaded ferrules on each tip above where the string would sit for the purpose of attaching things like spear heads. Any help, advice, criticism, suggestions etc would be appreciated
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Quality is not an act,it is a habit.~Aristotle
By a Carpenter mankind was made,and only by that Carpenter can mankind be remade.~Desiderius Erasmus

Offline Pat B

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Re: Hop Hornbeam
« Reply #1 on: February 09, 2025, 01:30:29 am »
Hop hornbeam is a good bow wood but I don't know how it would work with a rounded cross section. Hornbeam or muscle wood is different and not a good bow wood in my opinion.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: Hop Hornbeam
« Reply #2 on: February 09, 2025, 02:22:16 pm »
Glad to see you back!
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Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.

Offline jameswoodmot

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Re: Hop Hornbeam
« Reply #3 on: February 09, 2025, 04:39:11 pm »
Quote from: Pat B on February 09, 2025, 01:30:29 am
Hop hornbeam is a good bow wood but I don't know how it would work with a rounded cross section. Hornbeam or muscle wood is different and not a good bow wood in my opinion.

Is that Carpinus betulus or Carpinus caroliniana that isn’t good?
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Offline bassman211

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Re: Hop Hornbeam
« Reply #4 on: February 09, 2025, 10:52:34 pm »
Pat B is that answer from year  personal experience with working with American horn beam, or blue beech? Finding a piece of wood that is long, and straight enough can be a problem. It takes belly heat treat as good as elm, and can be de crowned, and backed, and make a very good bow. Never belly frets after heat treat unlike hop horn beam. You can also recurve the tips with dry heat, and it is a dense wood with good spring.JME.
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Offline Pat B

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Re: Hop Hornbeam
« Reply #5 on: Today at 01:54:44 am »
American Hophornbeam, Ostrya virginana  is a very good bow wood. American hornbeam, Carpinus caroliniana isn't as good. I've only built a couple of bows or each over the years and hophornbeam would be my choice between the two.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Pappy

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Re: Hop Hornbeam
« Reply #6 on: Today at 10:03:20 am »
HHB is my favorite white wood, it makes a fine bow when you can find a clean , not spiraled  piece.  :)
 Pappy
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