Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: DiGi on January 05, 2011, 12:03:02 pm

Title: Pine
Post by: DiGi on January 05, 2011, 12:03:02 pm

Is pine good for anything? My neighbor is throwing out their christmas tree.

Title: Re: Pine
Post by: Pat B on January 05, 2011, 12:30:15 pm

First off, most Christmas trees are not pine(some are) but spruce or fir. Also Christmas trees are grown to be thick anf branchy. Not the best option for bows or arrows...but makes great fishing reefs and cover for small critters in a wood area.  ;D

Title: Re: Pine
Post by: DiGi on January 05, 2011, 12:39:59 pm

oh ok, I won't take it then

Title: Re: Pine
Post by: Grunt on January 05, 2011, 01:54:15 pm

I've got some friends who collect christmas trees and on new years eve they have a tree burn. Those boys have been known to have a fire twenty five feet high at midnight. I guess a few jars of Wlikes County NC everclear apple don't hurt matters any.

Title: Re: Pine
Post by: Parnell on January 05, 2011, 11:31:42 pm

Pat's got that one fielded, for sure, but there are types of pine that can be used from what I understand.  I just got The Encyclopedia of Native American Bows & Arrows and noticed that one of the northern Canadian groups used a pine bow and have heard of it used elsewhere, I think like Siberian areas and such.
I've been real curious about the Southern Yellow Pine and Slash that grow down here.  They're supposed to be pretty dense.  Don't know though.
I'd love to see some true pine bows.

Title: Re: Pine
Post by: Pat B on January 05, 2011, 11:42:50 pm

I'd bet some of the old "real" heart pine would make a bow. It is extremely dense.
  I think there was an article in an old PA magazine about pine bows in a Scandanavian country, maybe Norway.

Title: Re: Pine
Post by: JackCrafty on January 05, 2011, 11:55:11 pm

I've made a few bows from slash pine and yellow pine.  They were all quartersawn and unbacked.  It works well for bows under 35# draw weight. The bows start to become too much work with the higher draw weights.

Title: Re: Pine
Post by: CraigMBeckett on January 06, 2011, 01:56:42 am

As I understand it a few of the ancient bows found in areas such as Scandinavia/Siberia etc were made of heart of pine, in addition the bi-wood bows of the Laps etc were of beech and "compression" pine. There has been a few posts on the latter on paleoplanet.

Craig.

Title: Re: Pine
Post by: hillbilly61 on January 06, 2011, 07:53:30 am

Quote from: Pat B on January 05, 2011, 11:42:50 pm

I'd bet some of the old "real" heart pine would make a bow. It is extremely dense.
  I think there was an article in an old PA magazine about pine bows in a Scandanavian country, maybe Norway.

 We get alot of people that remodle around here. I see alot of the heart pine laying along the curbs waiting for the garbage men to pick it up. I might just have to stop and pick a few boards up ;D