how many staves do you keep?

[Bubbabowyer]

I'm still on a learning curve myself. I make probably 50 or more a year for the last five years. I'm looking at how much more stress a clean backed bow can handle vs a character bow. I love watching them come to life but I cant help to smile when they blow. It's all a learning process for me still. I cant get enough of that yeller gold!

[Selfbowman]

I have about 35 Osage staves and one hickory. Probably get about 15 more at Ojam .
Arvin

[stuckinthemud]

I have about 30 character staves, about 4 good staves and enough billets for another 3 or 4 bows, a mix of apple, hawthorn, laurel, scotch broom, hazel and just a couple of yew staves but I only build a couple of bows a year so at this rate I have enough to keep me going for longer than I have left......

[Tracker0721]

Man, I’ve got 1 mismatched pair of Osage billets. Now I feel like the kid at lunch with a pb&j and white milk while everyone else has pizza lunchables and Capri sun...

[Bubbabowyer]

Tracker I'd be happy to send you a stave. You pay shipping of course and its green. But you can blank it out seal the back and be shooting it by may if you wanted. Even sooner if you have a wood stove

[Drawknife]

1 stave working.  1 at floor tiller. = noob.

[Tracker0721]

Bubbabowyer I’m shooting you a message!

[Deerhunter21]

1 stave working.  1 at floor tiller. = noob.

+ one primitive archer forum = 1 future Master


Now thats a recipie even Gordon Ramsey would like! 

[Drawknife]

1 stave working.  1 at floor tiller. = noob.

+ one primitive archer forum = 1 future Master


Now thats a recipie even Gordon Ramsey would like! 

Hahahahahaha

[JohnL]

...as many as I can run out of the woods with!

      There's nothing more satisfying than having a nice stack of prepared staves & roughed-in bow blanks, drying and seasoning; and just waiting for you to choose one of your liking.  But you can't rest on that - You gotta remember to cut more wood, so it's seasoned by the time you need it.  And the truth is, you're always a year behind on your bow wood acquisitions, because it's gotta dry & season, before you can use it.  So when I see that I'm down to the last couple of staves, and I know I didn't harvest any wood in the last year, I know I'm REALLY behind.  There's been plenty of times when I was really itching to make a bow, or a specific style bow, and I simply didn't have a decent stave that would fit the bill. And I refuse to pay for bow wood!
As much as I enjoy making bows, I think I get more excited these days, when I come home with a good haul of logs & sapling poles, or discover a stand of trees with some new bow wood species I've been wanting try.

–John

[HH~]

Barn full.

Shawn~

[Ricardovanleeuwen]

Finaly split all Wood and sorted It out in order of when i want to use It. I did count all different species.
Its a total of 42 staves.

13 yew (one is a heartwood split)
2rose Wood
1 flowering plum ( not sure)
2 black locust staves (have half of a big log waiting outside)
12 different species of elm, mostly saplings
2 elderberry
2 5 inch  hazel
2 hawthorn branches
1 unknown stick , possible plum or bird Cherry
2 fruit branches (i think It was apple)
1 dogwood wich is at floor tiller
1 birdcherry stick to try out
1 wacky bumpy purple plum ( but still chasing a better stave)

[Handforged]

Can I just say I kinda hate you guys with the bow wood locally. I am originally from TN and we had Osage, locust, hickory and a few more to beat the band! Cut truckloads of it a few times a year. Since I've been out in Montana I have to import the stuff like treasure!  I have a few staves now but there is no such number as too many. I'd love to have 50 in the shop just waiting for work.

Steel I have everywhere! Knives and tools all over the place and a hot forge to make more...just no bow wood in the whole state. HA!

[WhistlingBadger]

Can I just say I kinda hate you guys with the bow wood locally...Since I've been out in Montana I have to import the stuff like treasure!...just no bow wood in the whole state. HA!

Yeah, what he said!  I think there's a reason the NA tribes in this area all sinew backed their bows.  Some of you guys don't know how lucky you are!     Enjoy it! 

T

[csmcartor]

I've got one nearly finished bow (hickory) and an osage stave waiting.  But for a new guy like me that will last a while.  The hickory one is my first bow, and it's taken about a year of off and on work.  After everything I've learned on it, I'm hoping #2 will go a bit faster.

I live overseas where finding bow wood is a bit hard.  I plan to be at my family's place in KY this spring sometime and am hoping to cut more hickory or osage.  Any tips on finding osage trees would be appreciated!