Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: TolkienFan on August 02, 2015, 12:10:00 am

Title: California bow wood
Post by: TolkienFan on August 02, 2015, 12:10:00 am
Hey all,

I will most likely be moving to the Bay Area next year and am curious if anyone has experience with bow wood out there? I would love to start doing some research and maybe even get some stuff cut on my trips out there and start seasoning it before we get there so it's ready when we do.

As always, thanks for the help!
Title: Re: California bow wood
Post by: Oakenshield on August 02, 2015, 01:06:58 pm
Hey Tolk

I just moved here a month ago from TN, so im in a similar boat. So far I've found (from research) that the most common bow woods are Juniper, Ocean Spray, and further north towards Oregon there's yew. but ill be watching this because as much as i tried, I've yet to find any in person.
Title: Re: California bow wood
Post by: Weylin on August 02, 2015, 01:28:22 pm
What are the laws like in Cali for harvesting wood. I can't imagine they are very generous given their reputation. I have three bows that I made from California yew but it was harvested about 35 years ago.
Title: Re: California bow wood
Post by: Accipiter on August 02, 2015, 03:36:45 pm
I can't say much about the legality, but there is plenty of yew in northern cali, as well as california bay from the border pretty far south. Bay is a great whitewood, IMO. There's also an abundance of black locust in the eastside. Its actually a bit of a weed around the canals out east, so i imagine no one would be too mad about you taking some.
Title: Re: California bow wood
Post by: DC on August 02, 2015, 03:41:43 pm
Is there another name for Bay? I did a Google search for it and drew a blank.
Title: Re: California bow wood
Post by: rossfactor on August 02, 2015, 04:28:35 pm
We have a plethora of bow wood in Northern CA from the Bay to the Oregon border. Lots of oaks (tan oak, coast live oak, black oak etc), walnut, California bay, abundant wild plum, apple and other fruit woods, a number of maples but Vine maple is the best, ocean spray and lots of excellent shrubs, CA nutmeg can be found, and in the  national forest excellent Yew can be cut with a permit and investing the time to find it.

No shortage around here.

Gabe
Title: Re: California bow wood
Post by: rossfactor on August 02, 2015, 04:29:49 pm
Good call accipiter, we also have both honey and black locust.
Title: Re: California bow wood
Post by: rossfactor on August 02, 2015, 04:32:25 pm
Lots of juniper once you get away from the ocean.  Its what Ishi often used.
Title: Re: California bow wood
Post by: JoJoDapyro on August 02, 2015, 07:13:47 pm
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umbellularia (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umbellularia)

Hope that helps.

Not that I have worked any Juniper from California, bit Utah juniper is pretty sweet. Way stronger than I would have thought!
Title: Re: California bow wood
Post by: bubby on August 02, 2015, 08:50:47 pm
I hate to tell you guys but there is some osage here in cali too, just gots ta find it😈
Title: Re: California bow wood
Post by: Oakenshield on August 02, 2015, 09:41:56 pm
Found some ocean spray today in Marin county.
Title: Re: California bow wood
Post by: LEGIONNAIRE on August 03, 2015, 11:56:51 am
There is Mulberry, Black locust, and near Sacramento there is some Osage orange too. Ive harvested all of these plus yew as well. You can find alot of white oak in most of the canals, I love this wood its very resilient, kinda heavy but makes a decent bow when it is heat treated only.
Title: Re: California bow wood
Post by: Badger on August 03, 2015, 12:02:00 pm
  We have a lot of black locust and if you live in the city elm is not too hard to find. I don't like splitting elm and most of the time the trunks are just too large for me to handle so I have to pass on most of it. About 3 months ago I could have had 1/2 dozen arrow straight elm trunks but they were all over 1,000# each.
Title: Re: California bow wood
Post by: TolkienFan on August 03, 2015, 08:20:08 pm
Thanks for all the replies! So I am in the Bay and just hiked Windy Hill and saw mostly oaks but found three I have never seen. Any help?

Title: Re: California bow wood
Post by: TolkienFan on August 03, 2015, 08:21:56 pm
And this last one was a crazy looking tree. Never seen anything like it. It shed its bark on the top of the limbs and was really smooth and beautiful color.

Title: Re: California bow wood
Post by: Accipiter on August 03, 2015, 08:58:04 pm
The top tree (probably the bark, and for sure the leaves) is big-leaf maple. Not awesome bow wood from what I've heard, but it does grow nice and straight! The middle tree with the smaller, lance-shaped leaves is California bay (myrtlewood, etc). Try crushing one of the leaves and smelling, you won't mistake it again! the last tree with the peeling bark is madrone. Its a pretty cool tree, looks very tropical even though it grows well into Canada. The wood on that is very pretty, but a bit brittle from what I hear.
Title: Re: California bow wood
Post by: Blacktail on August 03, 2015, 09:20:20 pm
the tree with the red thin bark peeling off IS pacific madrone and it is VERY sensitive to checking and twisting...I am not say you cant make a bow from it BUT you should prepair your self for it..and the wood is really hard..john
Title: Re: California bow wood
Post by: bubby on August 03, 2015, 10:04:51 pm
The bottom tree is madrone also a bow wood if you can find a pc that's not twisted
Title: Re: California bow wood
Post by: TolkienFan on August 03, 2015, 11:58:13 pm
Thanks guys. Will def have to try at least some type of woodworking project out of Madrone. Too cool to not work.

How is the coastal Live oak for bows? I saw tons that looked straight enough and about the right size for a bow.
Title: Re: California bow wood
Post by: bubby on August 04, 2015, 12:03:29 am
As long as it's not diseased or has curly grain, I've cut some of that😣oak makes good bow wood