Author Topic: Red Osage (Read 4500 times)

Dean Marlow · « **on:** May 23, 2010, 06:11:17 pm »

I cut down a nice Osage tree back in March and started to clean up the staves a little this morning. I have seen red color in Osage before but not as much as these staves got in them. It would have been nice if they had a little wider growth rings but there are some nice chaseable rings on them. They seem to be very heavy compared to other osage staves of the same dimensions. Has anybody ever run across this red colored Osage and was it any good?

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HoBow · « **Reply #1 on:** May 23, 2010, 06:44:50 pm »

I've read it is suppose to be higher quality, but never seen it myself. Where did you find it and what were the conditions?

Dean Marlow · « **Reply #2 on:** May 23, 2010, 06:52:55 pm »

Jeff it was cut in West Central Illinois. I don't know what you mean by conditions. Dean

Pat B · « **Reply #3 on:** May 23, 2010, 06:56:10 pm »

Dean, I have seen and used red streaked osage. What I used was excellent. I have heard it can go either way though but I'd bet with the weight you described this is a good one. Denser wood.

mullet · « **Reply #4 on:** May 23, 2010, 07:32:25 pm »

Dean, I have and really like it. It seemed to take less wood to make a realy strong bow.

George Tsoukalas · « **Reply #5 on:** May 23, 2010, 09:40:18 pm »

Same here. I've used it and it seemed like nice dense wood. Jawge

HoBow · « **Reply #6 on:** May 23, 2010, 09:47:00 pm »

Dean- near water, in the middle of a pasture, surrounded by bigger trees, etc. I'm wondering if conditions lead to the red osage or is it another subspecies... From the other comments, sounds like it is probably good. I'm in south Chicagoland if you need some help verifying the quality

bigcountry · « **Reply #7 on:** May 24, 2010, 12:18:16 am »

I have a red streaked bow thats a dog. A friend made for me. 55lbs and about 4" of natural deflex. I always thought it was the deflex that made it a dog, but now starting to wonder. I bet it don't shoot 145fps with 10gpp arrow.

gmc · « **Reply #8 on:** May 24, 2010, 07:55:48 am »

I've always heard the darker the better but I haven't worked with it enough to really know. I believe the early, late wood ratio in a stave is the most important. The Osage I've been working with lately cut away from the creeks and river banks seems much better.

Pappy · « **Reply #9 on:** May 24, 2010, 08:59:07 am »

I like the dark Osage,if the ratio is good,that is pretty good looking wood but the ratio I don't like to much,it should be fine for a 50 lb. bow. The winter growth is just a little thick for my liking.

The darker dose seem to be more dense than the lighter color.

Pappy

Hillbilly · « **Reply #10 on:** May 24, 2010, 09:05:46 am »

The only red-streaked osage stave I've used made an excellent bow.

Tom Leemans · « **Reply #11 on:** May 24, 2010, 11:17:09 am »

I'm with Pappy on this one

bigcountry · « **Reply #12 on:** May 24, 2010, 12:00:46 pm »

Whats wild about this stave is one end, looks to have real good ratios and other now.

Pappy · « **Reply #13 on:** May 24, 2010, 12:07:28 pm »

You are right,I didn't notice that.

Pappy

Dean Marlow · « **Reply #14 on:** May 24, 2010, 01:46:16 pm »

It seems like the growth rings are always wider down towards the butt of the tree . I will just have to make a bow out of one of these one day and see if it is any good.

Primitive Archer