European Yew LB (stronger with pin knots?)

[Pinaka longbows]

Hi,
Made this Yew LB from a stave that become more exposed in direct sunlight after a storm dropped some trees above it. As a direct response it made a lot of new mini branches on the sunny side. (see all the small knots)  I have the feeling that these little pins add not only character but also to some strength in the wood. Like a kind of natural reinforcement, any ideas on this? See detail picks of the limb from back and belly sides.

Ps the bow is 45 lbs at 28 inches.

[Hamish]

Nice bow. Hard to beat a good piece of yew(unless its osage ), for beauty.

I wouldn't have thought the pins make the wood stronger. They are usually points of weakness, but look to be safe because the limbs are long enough and wide enough. The many pins do make it look really cool, for sure.

[simk]

A simple bow perfectly done. Great work Erik! I cannot imagine the pins to reinforce the back. Maybe on the belly they dont care. Imho every disturbance of straight grain weakens wood, but I have no proof ✌️

[superdav95]

Well done sir.  Very nice

[Pinaka longbows]

Nice bow. Hard to beat a good piece of yew(unless its osage ), for beauty.

I wouldn't have thought the pins make the wood stronger. They are usually points of weakness, but look to be safe because the limbs are long enough and wide enough. The many pins do make it look really cool, for sure.

The idea is that the wood around the pins is usually a bit harder (more lignine) so the ratio between pin size and the surrounding harder wood works in our favour I think.  But like any other wood / strength topics , It is very hard to find identical piece of wood without pins to proof this theory in some way.
Would be nice to learn if others felt the same difference?

[simk]

Yes, the wood is harder around knots. But imho this does not help: a) because the fibers have to snake around and b) because to me it seems best to have a very a most uniform properties in your limbs. Bigger pins in my experience attract chrysals because they are harder spots, diturbing uniform spread of tension and compression, inducing silly peaks. just my feeling 😀 but sonetimes it seems like these pins dont do harm, if small enough...

[bownarra]

What he said ^

[BowEd]

With raised over grown knots 1/16" to 1/8" high the size of corn kernals it is not an asset IMO compared to a clean back on a bow.Tension work is done on the outside surface.
That can be alleviated with the width and length of working limb and or lower poundage of the bow also to reduce any danger.
The very small dots I see are of no consequence to endangering this bow.
Cool looking bow.

[simk]

Erik, you convinced me if you again make this 180# bow - with a stave full of these funny pins 🤗 maybe 200# possible 😁

[Pinaka longbows]

With raised over grown knots 1/16" to 1/8" high the size of corn kernals it is not an asset IMO compared to a clean back on a bow.Tension work is done on the outside surface.
That can be alleviated with the width and length of working limb and or lower poundage of the bow also to reduce any danger.
The very small dots I see are of no consequence to endangering this bow.
Cool looking bow.

this is exactly why i think its an asset, since the belly is tougher and the back (tension) is not interupted and clean.
(never had any chrysalis around the knots like Simon says (see also my post a few weeks ago with extreme knots in the limbs)

Although i appreciate opinions, I was really asking for similar experiences for most people are more afraid of knots than actually needed.
have made several heavy warbows with these knots in it.

[Pinaka longbows]

Erik, you convinced me if you again make this 180# bow - with a stave full of these funny pins 🤗 maybe 200# possible 😁

Ill send you some pics of a 155 lbs Mary rose style english warbow of the same type of yew!
180 lbs or more is critical for any type of wood (with decent dimensions)

[Stixnstones]

Beautiful bow all around, great work

[simk]

Good Yew is almost impossible to chrysal. In fact I only once had a yew chrysaling. I did blame the pins. but maybe it was just a strange monday-piece 🤔 despite this singular experience my confidence in yew is 100%...talking about the belly, not the back...

[BowEd]

With raised over grown knots 1/16" to 1/8" high the size of corn kernals it is not an asset IMO compared to a clean back on a bow.Tension work is done on the outside surface.
That can be alleviated with the width and length of working limb and or lower poundage of the bow also to reduce any danger.
The very small dots I see are of no consequence to endangering this bow.
Cool looking bow.

this is exactly why i think its an asset, since the belly is tougher and the back (tension) is not interupted and clean.
(never had any chrysalis around the knots like Simon says (see also my post a few weeks ago with extreme knots in the limbs)

Although i appreciate opinions, I was really asking for similar experiences for most people are more afraid of knots than actually needed.
have made several heavy warbows with these knots in it.

Excuse me but I have very little experience with making bows from yew and could of spoken out of turn here and stand corrected.Good observation.Rather expensive stuff around here.
Made a couple out of yew.The 8 or 10 other woods I've made selfbows from will not act exactly that way.Although at the poundage your bow is at there I've made bows from other woods looking like that,that do survive from other woods.
That yew is some amazing stuff then.It seems to dent just looking at it though and for my purposes of a bow to hunt game and don't need 100+ poundage bows it's a non factor to me.

[backtowood B2W]

I have to less experience with yew, but with the few I made I recognized harder and denser wood around pins and knots. Specially when the  color around them turn into beautiful purple. Spreaded out on the whole bow - maybe it makes a difference. Whats the length and mass of the bow? maybe this gives a clue when you compare it to your others.
Very nice bow - always excited to see a new bow from you. Good pics also
B2W