I heard you like pictures of logs...

[Marc St Louis]

I had the opportunity to buy some Black Palm billets some 15 years ago, the $40~$50 price tag each discouraged me.  I wonder where those billets ended up

[mullet]

Knotty, when I was in Brazil outside of Patrocinio I saw lots of Ipe and shovel handles made from Purple Heart.

[Strichev]

  Are you positive that is yew??

My guess is that it is a European Yew.

It is indeed European yew and one of the straightest, healthiest, nicest looking yews I've seen in my area.  Most of the trees here are all knotty, twisted and whatnot. You Muricans sure are spoilt by that Pacific yew I keep hearing about. 

[WillS]

I'm not American, and I can tell you it's not healthy. 

It'll make a bow, but don't push it over 50lb.

[Strichev]

There goes my dream. Anyhow, how do you tell it's unhealthy? Discolourations and that line down the middle? (I admit to have only seen 2 split yews and this one here)

[WillS]

The line down the middle is normal - that's the pith line. 

It's those innocuous looking light grey patches.  If you get the odd one or two in small areas, or around knots it's normally absolutely fine, but when it's spread out like in your photos and not radiating from any particular flaw in the timber it's likely to be hard hat time.

Saying that, it's English yew.  It's the most ridiculous bow wood in the world.  You can get 100lb out of stuff with holes and rot and worms inside, and yet have 8 staves in a row of the most pristine, beautiful timber you'll ever see explode one after the other on the tiller... Can you tell I'm speaking from experience? 

If you've got your mind set on a heavy bow and you're not particularly bothered about losing the wood then go for it.  You might be surprised.  If you *need* a bow and can't afford to lose the wood, personally I'd keep it under 50lb.

[wizardgoat]

I dunno, I've dealt with lots of yew and that looks just fine to me.
All the unhealthy yews I've seen showed it in the sapwood and cambium.
I've made bows from salvaged yew, some that was down for more than a year.
They are heartwood backed bows.
Will be hard to tell 100% until your bending them, but Will is probably right that you should start with a lower weight bow

[WillS]

This is English yew, and 60lb ish.  Sometimes it just wants to make a bow no matter how hard you try to break it...

[WillS]

I dunno, I've dealt with lots of yew and that looks just fine to me.
All the unhealthy yews I've seen showed it in the sapwood and cambium.

Taxus Brevifolia is a different species remember

English yew can be flawless looking - dark, dense heartwood and bright white sapwood with not a mark on it, and still be rotten and brittle.  It's pure evil.

[Strichev]

Thank you for the information, I'll try to make one heavy bow from it and see how it goes. I do have a few hard hats at my disposal, though.
Other than that... I first need to get to the point of being able to draw a really heavy bow. 100 pounds? That would take quite some time. I'll keep them under or around 50.

My previous 60 pounder is still holding well and I have one in the works. With grey patches aplenty, sadly.
 

[Knotty]

@mullet could you tell me where in Brazil you saw that? Because I'll hurry up and buy myself hundreds of shovel handles! Here in Minas Gerais they're made from Pine which I won't even comment.

[mullet]

Knotty; Patrocinio is the town.  It is about 150 KLM east of Uberaba. I flew in and out of Undelandia. I was in Patrocinio for a month and a half.

[Knotty]

@Mullet I guess you meant Uberlandia (not Undelandia) but anyway, that's in the same state I live in.. I'm surprised we don't have them here, I guess that next time I travel, I gotta remember to go there! Lol

[mullet]

Yes, you are right, "land of udders". I wasn't sure about the spelling. Patrocinio is the only place I saw the purple heart tree. I posted pictures of it on here when I was there along with the shovel. I almost bought a handle to make a bow because I was bored and wanted something to do at work.

[Knotty]

Nice ! You also got a pic of the handle? If you do , mind sending it to me through pm? Thanks!