what woods are heartwood only?

[gfugal]

Just out of curiosity, I know there are some woods that have bad sapwood and you want to work it down to a single growth ring in the heartwood. Osage is an example, but I don't know of any others off the top of my head. Are their other woods that have poor sapwood? If so I imagine there are less of these types of "heartwood only bows" then the "whitewoods" you can use the wood right underneath the bark, so maybe we can get a list of all those woods?

[PEARL DRUMS]

Locust and mulberry.

[Pat B]

Yep, locust and mulberry. And, it's not that the sapwood is bad, it's just more folks prefer to use only the heartwood of these woods for bows. I've built all sapwood bows from all three without any problems. I left a ring or 2 of sapwood on them also without problems. I have noticed the more sapwood the thicker the limbs will be.

[gfugal]

Yep, locust and mulberry. And, it's not that the sapwood is bad, it's just more folks prefer to use only the heartwood of these woods for bows. I've built all sapwood bows from all three without any problems. I left a ring or 2 of sapwood on them also without problems. I have noticed the more sapwood the thicker the limbs will be.

Thanks! I was just going to ask if you could still make a decent bow with the sapwood still intact on mulberry. Sounds like you can? Although it's preferred to use heartwood only if you have the material for it.

[PEARL DRUMS]

A few thing I have found. The less sapwood left the more likely the bow will hold its shape. The more sapwood you leave behind the more likely to take set. If you decide to leave mostly sapwood, make it a bit wider/longer. The best yew bows I've made all had thin layers of sapwood left, same with osage made that way. I THINK heartwood tends to react much quicker and with more power upon release.

[BowEd]

Black cherry and kentucky coffee tree.

[simson]

for me: osage, locust, mulberry

[FilipT]

Black locust but I always encounter "bad" sapwood on it so I always must go for the first or second heartwood ring.

[TorstenT]

There‘s also Laburnum. Some bowyers here in Germany successfully built bows with a layer of sapwood, but historical examples are usually built from heartwood only.

[Pat B]

Filip, wouldn't bad sapwood turn into bad heartwood in a few years?

[NorthHeart]

A few thing I have found. The less sapwood left the more likely the bow will hold its shape. The more sapwood you leave behind the more likely to take set. If you decide to leave mostly sapwood, make it a bit wider/longer. The best yew bows I've made all had thin layers of sapwood left, same with osage made that way. I THINK heartwood tends to react much quicker and with more power upon release.

In my limited experience(compare to many here) ive noticed similar results with Osage.  What about a higher poundage and faster bow for the same physical dimensions if it were all heartwood, have you noticed this as well?

And just to clarify something regarding Yew bows since ive only made a handfull...do you not actually NEED to leave any sapwood on?  And if you elect not to, then do you worry about chasing a ring or just violate at will...whats the method there?

[Ryan Jacob]

Well, I’ve heard that you dont need the sapwood on yew. Makes it look a lot bettre though in my opinion.