Rowan

[huey_fatman]

Is there such thing as rowan wood? Everytime I ask someone, they look at me like I'm crazy. How is it for bows, and where can I get it?

        Thanks,
   Huey

[bootboy]

i think its called alder here?

[huey_fatman]

Is it good for bows?

[Hillbilly]

Rowan is European mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia). It has been traditionally used for bows in Europe. We have a couple of closely related species in North America: Northern mountain ash (Sorbus decora) grows in the northeastern/north central US and Canada. American mountain ash (Sorbus americana) has much the same range except that it grows through the Appalachians south to Georgia at higher elevations. Here in western NC, it's pretty common above 5,000' elevation or so. Greene's mountain ash (Sorbus scopulina) grows thoughout many of the western states from Alaska to New Mexico, and western mountain ash (Sorbus sitchensis) grows in the Pacific Northwest. The true European rowan is sometimes planted here as an ornamental tree, and is naturalized in some of the northern tier of states. As far as how good our native mountain ashes are for bows, couldn't tell you, but I'm on the lookout for a nice straight mountain ash to try.

[huey_fatman]

Thanks for the info Hillbilly. Keep me posted if you run into a spare sapling.

[triton]

Rowan or mountain ash has red berries.  Ash has seed "keys".  mark your tree when you see the berries, get a chainsaw ready for winter 

[Fundin]

I have severel rowan staves, It is not very dense (.61) but quite elastic and works well in longbow designs with slightly flatter belly.
If the shipping was not so expensive I could send you a stave.

(I live in Sweden so It would cost quite a lot to ship a stave)

[backgardenbowyer]

I had a bow made out of a rowan sappling when I was a kid.  I seem to remember it had a lot of set, but it was probably pretty badly made anyway! I think the wood is similar to normal ash.  There were lots of rowan trees in the North of England where I grew up, where it is part of the folklore - rowan was planted to ward off evil - but don't ask me why!

It's a very pretty tree, almost a shame to cut it down - use some dull old common ash instead!

Stan

[bambule]

I've build some bows from rowan - as Fundin said, not very dense but elastic. My first bow was a 50# of rowan - shooting nice.
Gets more set when you're not careful but up to 50 - 55# I think it's possible with a overbuilt lookalike MaereHeath Design or a flatter belly longbow.

Greetz

bambule

[a finnish native]

yeah, rowan makes good bows, but you have to know how to work with it. it usually takes a few tries before you get the hold of it. try to find a stave that has thick rings. there are a few threads about rowan here already. you should look them up.

[son of massey]

i am a little surprised to see the positive feedback on rowan, the only downed trees i have seen seemed to disintegrate quickly.   yes, its a white wood, so it wont last on the ground forever, but what ive seen really didnt seem like susbtantial wood.   are the bows you all are referring to particularly wide, lower weight, or is the tillering just very meticulous?   SOM

[Jaro]

I have had 42 mm wide leaf tapered 69" long bow of rowan and it pulled like 95#/27". I shot it with my sporting arrows with amazingly flat trajectory, it must have been doing like 260 or some with arrow of that weight.
Nothing wrong with that wood.
It is very light and stiff per its own weight and in working properties it resembles maple.
It is not very compression strong though and somehow critical to tiler, and it resembles black locust in this aspect.
I like flat oval crossection for this wood best.

Jaro