bow woods

[Nemo66]

Just started leaning to make bows. I have been making stringed folk instruments using alot of mahogany. How good is mahogany for bow making or using it for a 1/8th backing on other woods?

[H Rhodes]

Welcome.  From what I have read on here,  mahogany is a little too brittle to be a good bow wood.  The search block works great on this site.  You might put in "mahogany" and see what has been posted in the past.  I have never used it, but it is beautiful wood.   

[Newindian]

From what I understand it isn't a bow wood, although you can make one from it if you really want to

[bow101]

Osage is king from what I hear.  In my parts we aint got any Osage. Just the infamous Yew. Other than that for Board bows I like maple. Or you can use Hickory, ash, some cherry, vine maple, red oak, white oak, hawthorn, elm and others... I'm sure others will drop in and tell ya. For backing I know many use Bamboo.

[wood_bandit 99]

Osage is king from what I hear.  In my parts we aint got any Osage. Just the infamous Yew. Other than that for Board bows I like maple. Or you can use Hickory, ash, some cherry, vine maple, red oak, white oak, hawthorn, elm and others... I'm sure others will drop in and tell ya. For backing I know many use Bamboo.

I like how you said "infamous", it made me instantly think about how much I spent on it and I wasn't too happy with it osage is king but yew is fun to scrape if you want a break 

[PEARL DRUMS]

Yah, yew is junk. Its lucky to win BOM every other month because it breaks so easy. I don't know why I keep going back to it? 

[RyanR]

Yah, yew is junk. Its lucky to win BOM every other month because it breaks so easy. I don't know why I keep going back to it?

Yes I agree in fact I recommend you package it all up and send it to me and I will dispose of it properly.

[Onebowonder]

Yah, yew is junk. Its lucky to win BOM every other month because it breaks so easy. I don't know why I keep going back to it?

Yes I agree in fact I recommend you package it all up and send it to me and I will dispose of it properly.

Yeah I hear it's a TAXUS waste material!   

OneBow

[H Rhodes]

Poor guy.  One post and he is already being sucked into the osage v yew debate!!

[RyanY]

You can make a good bow from poplar. Plus it's easy to find good straight grained boards. 

[Dan K]

I've always heard it's the bowyer that tames the wood, if you can make a true yew bow you've graduated

[wood_bandit 99]

Poor guy.  One post and he is already being sucked into the osage v yew debate!!

LOL now I will be known as the guy who hates yew    every time I post something about yew everyone always pulls up this debate     

[Bryce]

Yah, yew is junk. Its lucky to win BOM every other month because it breaks so easy. I don't know why I keep going back to it?

 

[PEARL DRUMS]

Nemo, to answer your question. Mahoganey isn't good bow wood. Id suggest using it for handles and overlays rather than letting it bend at all.

[Marc St Louis]

Depends on which species of Mahogany you may be referring to.  Santos Mahogany is a tough wood. 

I remember 35 years ago when I was working in a motorcycle shop the Japanese bikes were shipped in containers that had a wood frame made up of 2X2 hardwood lumber and then cardboard stapled to that.  The wood was for the most part Mahogany, which we would break up as fuel to heat the shop.  Every once in awhile I would hit a piece that would not break easily.  I don't know which species of Mahogany it was but it was some tough stuff