About 3 years ago at the Vancouver Island Wood Bow Gathering, Pender Bender gave me a couple of Laburnum billets. I started on them a few times but I just wasn't sure if they were any good as one had rotten sapwood and a bunch of rot in the core. Finally after a little encouragement from a few of our European members who get to use this wood more than us I started scraping. I had to chase a ring after I took all the sapwood off. The billets, fortunately, had a big dogleg but then straightened out for 35". The 35" was almost thick enough for the working part of the limb. I say almost because I had to glue a splint on the belly where it started to hinge. I used the short portions from the other side of the dogleg to build up he handle area. Then I spliced them together and started tillering. I was expecting it to break because of the rot but it held together. It's beautiful wood and a pleasure to work. I wish the sapwood had been good as it would have been gorgeous with the contrast. It's just finished with Tung oil so that is the natural colour. I want more of this wood now.
Any way it's 40#@28, 67"ntn, 1 1/8" limbs tapering to 3/8" tips. Tips are Water Buffalo Horn and grip is a strip of brain tan from the bunch that BowEd kindly sent me a year and a half ago. Just for the hey I shot it through the chrono and was surprised at 176fps@10gpp. I wasn't expecting it to be that fast.
