Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: stuckinthemud on April 11, 2015, 06:40:39 pm
-
Evening All!
this is just for fun, but it seems pretty clear to me that the timber of choice for our American cousins is osage, while we on this side of the pond would seem to pick yew as first choice for bows (sweeping statement!), so what comes next? What timber would you choose, and why, if you could choose any timber, but could not use yew or osage orange? >:D :) :D
-
Hophornbeam.
-
Hickory. Jawge
-
Ocean Spray... ;)
-
Hickory. But then again, I haven't had a chance to try hophornbeam, ocean spray, vine maple, grey elm, etc...
-
Black locust 8)
-
Black locust 8)
Yippers!
-
Clean and straight anymore.
-
Locust still beats yew and osage in my book >:D >:D >:D
-
Hickory for sure. Its fast and tough.
Mark
-
I do like Black Locust too!!
Mark
-
of the woods i have worked with hophornbeam
-
ELM!
-
I'm confused ???
-
white oak
-
Ocean Spray!
-
Hickory ,black locust, and ironwood(hop hornbeam )
Tracy
-
Ash juniper, or hop hornbeam
-
Vine Maple. 8)
-
Juniper, ocean spray, black locust
-
Vine maple of course.
-
In my region and climate,For selfbows,Hickory has always been king in my book.For Sinew backed,Juniper is king,but i think im going to experiment,with russian olive soon.
-
Elm,because it grows locally,light,elastic and response to heat treating very well.also suitable for almost every design.plus I love the smell!
-
I like working a variety of wood. Yew is the queen here, on this side of the pond. But I like working English ash and black locust as well. Even ipé comes to mind.
But the best is for sure a piece of Mongolian tulipwood!
>:D
-
umm...unbroken............uncracked lol..I have a hickory stave now,,I'll let ya know if I like it..or if it likes me!
-
I like hickory and white oak alot but I am actually finishing up a self bow of red oak cut last fall and I really love it! Its fast and lighter than white oak and nicer than hickory or elm to work. Not sure why its labled as an inferior bow wood
-
Hophornbeam.
-
The question is kind of open ended but I will interpret it as best bow wood regardless of availability and my answer would be Plum
-
HHB..... Brian
-
Clean and straight anymore.
I was sure you were going to say ERC!
OneBow
-
I haven't made many bows, oceanspray is ok, tough to work with, it doesn't act like "wood".
Haven't finished an osoberry bow yet but it seems just as hard as OS but much lighter.
I really like douglas maple to work with (it dries fast without checking) and it's strong. I wonder how vine maple compares to douglas.
I wish I could get some hophornbeam. When I was in school I learned about the amazing properties of HHB.
-
Hickory, elm and hop hornbeam are my favorite other woods.
-
Hickory. No wait.... Maple? Actually elm, that's it! Ooooh plum is good too...
It doesn't matter as long as it's straight.
-
HICKORY my favoret white wood by far. Pig nuts my favoret. But shag barks not bad either. I have a 64" 61# @26" HICKORY I used 7 seasons and killed 13 bucks with it. Before I retired it.
-
ERC, vine maple, and HHB that Marc has.
-
Maple, Ocean spray, Black Locust. We seem to use whats available in our area. ::)
-
Cascara
-
I haven't made many bows, oceanspray is ok, tough to work with, it doesn't act like "wood".
Haven't finished an osoberry bow yet but it seems just as hard as OS but much lighter.
I really like douglas maple to work with (it dries fast without checking) and it's strong. I wonder how vine maple compares to douglas.
I wish I could get some hophornbeam. When I was in school I learned about the amazing properties of HHB.
Douglas maple from my experience seems to be a less snappy then vine maple. There also seems to be more mass in a finished bow, but that's here......I would not hesitate to use it though. Vine maple varies from region to region as well as douglas I presume. :)
-
American Beech because I love working with the wood and have made my best shooting bows with it. Hickory because it is so consistent, always strong.
-
Juniper, Incense Cedar, Plum. I think it is hard to beat a sinew-backed juniper bow or a sinew-backed incense cedar one. Easily worked, but not the easiest to tiller out. They shoot like nothing else, look sexy and smell great.
-
dogwood & elder
-
HHB, Winged Elm and hickory. I would say our my top 3.
Pappy
-
American Elm 8)
-
Hazel, it's plentiful (in UK) grows straight, v few knots, easy to work, takes heat bending and heat treatment. Very little grain to worry about although it can grow twisted, the rings are barely visible as it barely stops growing over winter, no sooner than it's lost it's leaves the catkins start appearing :)
Maybe not the fastest bows and won't take a narrow deep longbow style without chrysals. But it's great to have a go with.
I'm currently working on a Hazel warbow, aiming for 90# at about 31" but with full 32" draw.
It's at that stage where I'm getting nervous.... :o
Del
-
I'm in the Hickory camp. Maybe because it's very common in my area but also because it's very forgiving.
-
Well. Plum.
Gabe
-
Free.
-
Elm , elder , blackthorn ~(English osage!)
All of these will hold large amounts of reflex and will make most designs.
-
white oak
-
Western serviceberry and pacific dogwood.
-
black locust
-
Sugar Maple, Hickory...
-
Buckthorn when I can find a stave thats not defect riddled. Black locust when I can pull one off without chrysals. Elm would be a go to wood for sure. HHB although I've only made one from it to date I really
liked the way it worked. I like hickory cause its easy to find clean staves and I'll work hackberry as well.
To be honest I like 'em all and enjoy working with different woods. Even when I have osage (The King) on hand I'll still work on others too.
Man almost forgot to mention mulberry. :)