Bitternut Hickory?

[Wooden Spring]

I just fell a couple of hickory trees in making room for a storage shed. One tree was about 16" in diameter, and in attempting to make the first split, it eliceted many words I've never heard come out of my own mouth before...  But, one tree produced 8 good staves.

Question...  Just out of curiosity, what KIND of hickory is this? I'm thinking Bitternut, given the arrangement of the bark. Incidentally, I'm in the mountains of North Georgia if that matters...

[Pappy]

Good looking wood, getting the bark off on winter cut is tough but man has to do what a man has to do. I like cutting in early summer if possible. Hickory make some great bows.
   Pappy

[blackhawk]

Can't say for sure,but it is hickory and that's all that matters...looks like some nice staves too

[Pappy]

Sorry missed the question, many different Hickory but like Chris said, it's all good bow wood.
  Pappy

[Wooden Spring]

Good looking wood, getting the bark off on winter cut is tough but man has to do what a man has to do. I like cutting in early summer if possible. Hickory make some great bows.
   Pappy

I know, I am NOT looking forward to debarking these staves, but then we had to have the space now.
These will be my first stave bows by the way...  I've built countless board bows, but with my copy of "The Art of Making Selfbows" I'm considering all of my board bows as "practice." We'll see...

[blackhawk]

It'll be a pain to remove it yes..but it'll be easier now when there's still moisture in it compared to crusty dry. A drawknife on the duller side will remove it rather quickly and easily right now

[Wooden Spring]

Cool... If that's the case, I've got an old drawknife I picked up at an antique mall whose sharpness I would certainly grade as "dullish..."

Incidentally, as I said, these will be my first stave bows - can anyone recommend a good drawknife? I was in Rockler in Atlanta not long ago, but those crooks wanted over $100 for one! Surely there's got to be a good one that's a bit more fair in price?

[Pappy]

What the Bad Chris Said.
  Pappy

[Parnell]

I think Hickory is awesome stuff, especially for a first stave bow attempt and those look great.    Summertime humidity makes 'em a little noodly, but keep the moisture level down and TOAST the heck out of it!  I've seen some champion bows over the years made from it.

Good lookin' staves!

[DC]

Cool... If that's the case, I've got an old drawknife I picked up at an antique mall whose sharpness I would certainly grade as "dullish..."

Incidentally, as I said, these will be my first stave bows - can anyone recommend a good drawknife? I was in Rockler in Atlanta not long ago, but those crooks wanted over $100 for one! Surely there's got to be a good one that's a bit more fair in price?

Once you get the bark off you could sharpen the old one. If it's an old one there's a good chance it's a good one.

[Blaflair2]

Antique stores have the best tools IMO

[Mooseman78]

its hard to tell if its bitternut or not without pics of leaves and possible fruit(nut) but yes hickory is good tough wood and if u want to remove the inner bark without trouble try letting warm water trickle over it in the shower for a bit it will soften the inner bark and can be scraped off

[PatM]

Bitternut has yellow winter buds. it is the only Hickory that has this feature.