Bow woods-just curious

[George Tsoukalas]

It's a given. Osage is an excellent all around bow wood except maybe for very dry conditions. I'm just wondering and I would like to hear from master bowyers and beginners alike. If you could not obtain any osage, what bow wood would you choose? Please do, if you would like to, give your reasons. This will give me something interesting to read as I watch the first of up to 24" of possible snow fall in my driveway? Jawge

[PEARL DRUMS]

Jawgey Poo you starting a fire buddy?

HHB - very dense and flexible. Takes very little wood to make a hunting weight bow
HHB - "  "  "
GOOD elm, it seems each stave can really vary. Very stretchy and good in tension, needs a tempered belly to make the back work.

*Possibly buckthorn if this one proves out Im working now. It has a lot of the same characteristic HHB and osage do. Very dense, very stiff and requires little wood to make a bow. I like bow woods that require little wood to make a bow. Generally speaking tension strong and compression strong woods allow that.

[sadiejane]

hackberry, black locust, hickory-in no particular order
only made one outta hickory so far-great long bow btw.
have a cupla bl bows from my first year in the bowtrade-sweet shooters both
have some hackberry just sitting n waiting on me

reason-cuz they are plentiful in my area(but so is osage-why i mostly build with osage)
so ifn i couldnt get my paws on any osage i would simply wander into the nearest woods and take one of these.

got snowshoes?

[Pappy]

HHB/Winged Elm/ Persimmon/ Hickory/Dog Wood[white flowering] Hackberry in that order,reason is because I am blessed with all of this kind of wood I would ever need and have built very good bows from each over the years.  People think all I use is Osage but that is far from true.The last several were all the above
plus Yew.None of that around here so that is why it's not on the list. Ash also will make a good bow but seems it all depends on the tree and not as reliable at least for me as the others. Ya I heard yall was getting hit hard,good luck and stay warm.
   Pappy

[SLIMBOB]

So many I have not tried, but Elm and or Hackberry.  Surprisingly strong in tension, and tempering the belly gives the compression boost it needs to be light and wicked fast.  My "go to" bow right now is a 62" Hackberry I built over the summer.  Perfectly flat unbraced profile still.  Dang thing amazes me every time I pick it up.

[crooketarrow]

  I only use 2 woods mainly (98%) OSAGE AND HICKORY. Here in WV I have lots of bow woods to chose from. And I've made bows from them all and alot not local. My secound would be HICKORY,any HICKORY followed by ELM.
 I feel it moistures dealt with it's the second wood in forgivess (YOUR MISTAKES). From volitated back to forgivess in tillering around knots. BUT LIKE I SAID MOISTURE HAS TO BE DELT WITH.  Not only well seasoned staves but moisture kept down as you build the bow (hot box).

[BowEd]

Hickory or ironwood.They make just as stressful designs as hedge and a lot of times even shoot faster.With a little heat treatment of course.

[RidgeRunner]

Black Locust:  It is most like Osage and is readily available.
HHB             :  It is dang good bow wood.  Readily available and will pretty up real nice.
Hickory        :  Makes a good bow.  Just have to remember it's limitations. Also readily available.
Elm              :  Much the same as hickory.

Have made very few bows from anything else.

David

[coaster500]

With my limited use of bow woods I would have to choose Yew....  Easy to work, forgiving and well just makes a great bow!!!

My list of woods I have used to put choices into perspective...

Osage
Chittam Wooly Buckthorn
Eastern Red Cedar
Hickory
Vine Maple
Mulberry
Sasafrass
Cherry
Pear
Kentucky Coffee Tree
Hackberry

[burn em up chuck]

       I honestly try to utilize local woods. theres a lot of experience still to be had. truthfully i don't want to      choose I'm trying to remain open.

                                                                                       chuck

[blackhawk]

I've used too many woods to count and list.

All tied for second place for me in alphabetical order is :

Black locust...extremely bend resistant and results in a very snappy casting bow...beautiful wood to boot

European buckthorn...makes a near osage dimension bow...the best second string bow wood in compression...tough wood but a joy to work with hand tools...love the color and character

Eastern hophornbeam ...it has a smooth flexibility and elasticity to its draw with excellent cast




Yew.....enough said



I've only made one flowering dogwood,so since only using it once it doesn't make the top five list,but it made an excellent bow...and its qualities were dead even and the same as hophornbeam.

A good elm stave is a joy to work with hand tools wise,and can result in a light in the hand great casting bow if done right.


If I didn't have to back juniper id put it up there in my top five,but that being said a sinewed back juniper can be a thing of beauty.


I know I come off as an osage snob,but I'm really not and I do enjoy working any kind of wood...just depends on my mood heck I still like to try woods no one else ever has just for the fun of it cus I LOVE BUILDING BOWS...<---------thats a big period....lol

[lesken2011]

Since I have a limited supply of osage, I have had to rely on imports, primarily, when selecting dense belly woods, such as ipe and massuranduba which have produced some successful bows for me when backed with hickory, hard maple, or white oak. I also have used white oak, hickory, and hard maple with some success. I have some red elm that was gifted me, and some crepe myrtle staves I cut last spring that are ready to work on. Unfortunately I haven't made enough bows with each type of wood varying the designs enough to have a preference, so far, but I am working on it!!

[half eye]

Ironwood, slippery elm, crepe myrtle.  quick, tough and take a lot of field abuse. They make bows that are light in the hand and well mannered. I think they are as good as any wood. Wouldn't trade a stave of any of these for osage.
rich

[osage outlaw]

HHB is my second choice behind osage.  To me it seems harder than osage.  It cuts slower on my bandsaw, my hand tools don't work it as good as they do osage either.  It makes a lightweight fast shooting bow.  I can't get it to heat bend as easily as osage which is aggravating.  I don't have any on my property so I have to trade for it.

[4est Trekker]

Behind osage, I really like white oak.  Very similar to hickory, but not nearly as hygroscopic. I've not made but a few from it, but have been impressed with it overall.