Laurel for Blackhawk

[Pat B]

OK Chris, here is the first laurel stave for you. It is about 62" long and 2" in diameter and quite straight for Mt Laurel. I'll be cutting more as I find it. I'll get you 3 or 4 to play with.




Here are a few pics of laurel in the wild. You can see what I have to work with...


...and lots of interesting shapes. We always thought these two would make a great thrown...

[Squirrelslayer]

some crazy staves there i hope blackhawk does a build along with one of theese staves!

[blackhawk]

       ......awesome pat....thanks a billion brother 

that looks like about as good as they come    tough to find em ...I know that's not an easy task....and im sure your having fun getting bashed by the stuff crawling around in it looking for bow staves    I see some rosebay rhodo in there too

[Pat B]

We have Rhodo catawbiense(Catawba rhodo) and Rhodo minus growing wild here and I have planted hybrids and English roseum Rhodo.
  We have paths through lots of these laurel hells so it ain't too bad. I just cut the section i want and leave the rest of it entertwined with the rest of um. 
  This one has been sealed and dated. 

[paulsemp]

I don't know what looks better, that stave or your deer! Man you sure shot that thing up! Good luck with that stave blackhawk.

[Squirrelslayer]

I don't know what looks better, that stave or your deer! Man you sure shot that thing up! Good luck with that stave blackhawk.

it is a deer i thought it was some kind of stump, i really should wear some glasses

[steelslinger]

I found a patch of this stuff a few years ago while hunting. some of them were more than 20' tall with pretty straight trunks. I will have to see if I can find them again.

[blackhawk]

I must be sick,crazy,n twisted as that stave cus I'm paying the man in gold for that junk...lol  

[Arrowind]

I can't wait to see what you do with that. 

[coaster500]

Ya missed a few Pat

[Pat B]

Kip, if I took the pic from a different angle you would change your mind. 
  I was looking for larger diameter but what I found grows with an oval cross section with the narrow section being the tension/compression sides. If you tried to use the flatter sides for a bow it would be one side of the limb compression and one side tension. It would probably twist like crazy.  We have some here that is 6" in diameter.