Bow Woods, Bow Facts, n' Bow Opinions

[ThinkMinty]

I'd like to know, for knowing's sake, which woods make for good bow woods.

For the sake of being thorough in my crowd-sourcery, I'd also like assorted stuff people know about bows, and if anyone has opinions about which ones are nifty n' why, that would also be neat.

[gomipile]

I've heard good things about Texan Osage wood and European Yew used as bow staves.

[Brother Oni]

I'd like to know, for knowing's sake, which woods make for good bow woods.

For the sake of being thorough in my crowd-sourcery, I'd also like assorted stuff people know about bows, and if anyone has opinions about which ones are nifty n' why, that would also be neat.

A good bow wood will bend easily but be difficult to break and varying parts of a tree have different characteristics - the best place to take a yew bow stave is right where the wood meets the inner heartwood for example. The English Warbow Society has an article on lesser known bow woods (osange and yew are the most popular as Gomipile has said): link (http://www.theenglishwarbowsociety.com/LesserKnownLongbowWoods.html).

Traditional bowyering is more of an art than an exact science in my opinion - while I know the overview of the process, I much prefer more modern bows for ease of use (not having to find a place to store a 2m long unstrung bow is a good start! :smalltongue:).

As for your second question, you'd need to be a bit more specific. From your first question, I assume that you're interested in self bows rather than recurves or compounds, but what are you planning to do with a bow - target archery or hunting?

If you're planning to go hunting, check your local ordinances first; certain US states have bow type limitations and minimum draw poundage requirements, while bow hunting is banned entirely in the UK. From what I've read, a self bow also isn't ideal compared to a compound bow for various reasons (strain when holding at full draw, bow becoming entangled due to its length, cost of replacing lost or damaged arrows, slower speed of arrows, etc).

If you're interested in how bows were used historically, then the Real World Weapons, Armour and Tactics (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?454083-Got-a-Real-World-Weapon-Armor-or-Tactics-Question-Mk-XIX) thread would be a good place to stop by, although you may want to refine your question first (assorted stuff is very vague).

[ThinkMinty]

As for your second question, you'd need to be a bit more specific. From your first question, I assume that you're interested in self bows rather than recurves or compounds, but what are you planning to do with a bow - target archery or hunting?

More the target archery, honestly. Something in a short recurve, or maybe this sort of sling-bow (https://youtu.be/1G58RwfEzXI) I found out there on the internets, because that one looks/seems like it'd be able to be stored without unstringing it.

[Spiryt]

There's also this big wood list by Tim Baker:

http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/topic/47641/List-of-Potenial-Bow-Wood-Species-With-Comments#.VkJYrPbRlDQ

Generally there seems to be a lot of woods capable of becoming great bow, but like all these data indicates, different woods will require different approach, cross-sections of bows and so on.

Depending on if they are strong in tension, or strong in compression, the way their grain behaves, etc.

Yew is being famous bow wood ,for being 'fool proof' in a way, AFAIU. It's natural composite structure makes it resist both tension, compression and vibrations/shock relatively well even with prety botched shaping/cross-section.

[Tyndmyr]

It also doesn't have to be wood, even. Long as you've got the right properties, basically whatever works.

I have a bow I made a few years back outta fiberglass fence posts, duct tape, and twine. It still works just fine. Looks hideous, but hey.

[Brother Oni]

More the target archery, honestly. Something in a short recurve, or maybe this sort of sling-bow (https://youtu.be/1G58RwfEzXI) I found out there on the internets, because that one looks/seems like it'd be able to be stored without unstringing it.

Pretty much all modern recurve with fibreglass limbs can be stored without un-stringing, it's the wood bows that need to be un-strung when not in use so that they don't un-set and hence lose tension. I believe compounds can also be stored as is, although I can't speak from experience.

Are you starting archery for the first time? If so, I would suggest taking a beginner's course at a good local archery club first so that you get an idea of proper technique and a good instructor will help you sort out your optimal equipment size (bow length, draw weight, arrow length, etc) before buying since it can be an expensive mistake to make (if you get a wrong handed bow) or painful if your arrow length is too short (I've seen pictures of this happening where the archer didn't noticed their arrow falling off the arrow rest, loosed anyway and skewered their bow hand, trapping it around the bow).

With regard to your video, I have to question the safety of using a generic wooden dowel to make an arrow - it's not something you want to snap when it's half way through your release (he even displays a broken one in the video)!
I'm also sceptical of his claim that it achieves 120lbs draw when he doesn't state how far he needs to draw the rubber back to achieve that tension (archery clubs have a special set of scales with a ruler, so you can measure the draw weight and draw distance simultaneously).
Bear in mind that he's also using a release aid (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Release_aid) in that video - I'm not sure there's space for a Mediterranean draw (the 'traditional' three finger draw you see in movies), although a pinch or a thumb draw may be possible.


It also doesn't have to be wood, even. Long as you've got the right properties, basically whatever works.

As an example, here's a confiscated crossbow that prisoners made from stolen and smuggled materials: link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGTQRPJ4wzs).

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by gomipile
I've heard good things about Texan Osage wood....

This was my first thought--Osage orange, Maclura pomifera, also known as bois d'arc or horseapple. Originally native to parts of Texas and Oklahoma, and well-known to Native Americans as one of the best woods for making bows. Presumably they traded bows or raw staves outside of its original range, but the tree has been widely planted throughout eastern North America, mainly for use as hedges before barbed wire was invented. A great tree in many ways, and superlative for a bow.

[cobaltstarfire]

This was my first thought--Osage orange, Maclura pomifera, also known as bois d'arc or horseapple. Originally native to parts of Texas and Oklahoma, and well-known to Native Americans as one of the best woods for making bows. Presumably they traded bows or raw staves outside of its original range, but the tree has been widely planted throughout eastern North America, mainly for use as hedges before barbed wire was invented. A great tree in many ways, and superlative for a bow.

Do you know if age matters?

It gets really super mega hard as it ages. It's got really beautiful wood, I bet a bodark bow would be really pretty to look at.