Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: hedgeapple on February 17, 2009, 01:05:11 am
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My motto has always been, "Anything worth doing is worth over doing." I have yet to finish my first bow and my wife says I'm obsessed. I am 1/16 Cherokee. A couple weeks ago I thought up this crazy ideal. The Cherokee recognize 7 clans each clan has there own wood, thus 7 sacred woods--ash, beech, maple, locust, oak birch and hickory. My crazy idea is to build a bow of each of these woods and give it to my 7 closest friends.
My question can you build a bow with beech and birch?
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Do a search in "bows" for each of those woods. I'm sure you'll come up with something. Either where someone has tried it with, or without success. ;)
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Beech... I'm not sure, but birch... yes, definately.
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After you've made enough bows, you can pretty much make a bow out of anything. So, yep, you can make bows from beech, birch, basswood, bamboo, butternut, and even balsa....well maybe not balsa. But you get the idea. ;D
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http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/topic/21533?page=1
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Birch is good Bow wood....and makes a nice D Bow Style Bow too....I have never gotten my hands on any Beech....but they say if it has fruit or nuts....it'll make a Bow....so there you go....
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Thanks everyone. I guess I'll start gathering wood. I saw a nice beech at my parents farm yesterday. I know there's some good hickories and oaks on the farm also.
Another question which is the best oak wood, white oak or red oak?
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I have a beech stave I need to try, finding one with out twist is somewhat of a challenge and with its smooth bark its
tough to tell if its twisted until ya split it. All the woods you mentioned will make a bow with the proper design for each wood.
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I think white oak makes the best bow but lots of folks(me included) have made excellent bows from red oak. I would go with the oaks or hickories before beech but that is just me. I have never made a beech bow although I have a stave in my wood pile. These are all whitewoods so if you can wait a few months, until the leaves come out, you will have an easier time removing the bark and cambium layer.
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Thats a noble plan, Hedgeapple, I hope that you fulfill it. Over here the ancient Druids and Celtic people considered oak and yew as sacred trees
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I'm workin on a beech right now. I gotta alot of straightening to do on it. So far it seems pretty good it's hard and has good strength. I htink someone said it was tension weak though. :-\
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I think one can make a bow from any wood. It is just a matter of design and perserverance.