beech-like most anything else-can be used to make bows, and it is even less bad than some other materials. however i wouldnt expect to be able to push the material all that far as its limits are, well, limiting. i have made a beech bow or two but stuck with reasonably low draw weights as the heavier bows i tried crushed their own bellies. the lesson i took from that is that it is very important to have a great tiller on a beech bow or the slightest hinge crysal, crush, and break. i wouldnt suggest it for a first bow. backed it may be alright, but as the belly is the weak point even backing it may not be a silver bullet. you could always just to try and see what happens or make one or two other board bows of at least similar dimensions to nail the design characteristics and then give it a go. SOM
