Snakewood

[Marc St Louis]

This is probably the species most would think of when talking Snakewood wood-database.com/snakewood/

I'm not sure but I think I read somewhere that it was used for bows

[PatM]

The highly figured stuff IS the type raved about for bows in the past.  The Thompson's loved the stuff and many old publications mentioned its excellence for bows.  There's little evidence that it ever grew in Florida.  The Thompson's obtained it  in finished bow form from England.   It was always backed with hickory.

 It's quite hard to locate in bow lengths now.

[paulc]

Looks like a crepe myrtle relative...

[Parnell]

Marc - thanks for that link.  From the information there, these trees are not "Snakewood".  From that link's info it seems that it doesn't even grow in the US.  I'm wondering if the term is being used generically.  People can draw their own conclusions.

I'm still wondering if this White Stopper does well for bow wood...it flowers and produces a fruit.  We'll see.

[PatM]

Some of the issue is due to Hill mentioning his Florida Snakewood bow and the Thompson's using their bows in Florida.

 The Thompson's were very specific in mentioning that their bows were English made.  At the time tropical timber bows were very common.

[Parnell]

PatM - That makes sense with the British colonies and importing wood from the Carribean - S America.  I think Guyana was British...maybe it was sourced there?

[PatM]

Apparently most snakewood comes from Suriname which  was Dutch in that era.  Still, things were traded extensively.  During the Victorian era all sorts of exotic woods ended up in bows and it likely wasn't all from  former British colonies.