Best Wood For Bows

With all of the data available on the wood database there s no single measurement that directly indicates a wood s ability to bend easily without breaking.

Best wood for bows.

Backed bows are made primarily of wood but these types of bows also have a backing for reinforcement. Before the days of modern technology the backing came from animal parts but now the reinforcement can come from fiberglass or other flexible materials. Best wood for bows. This wood can perfectly bend if it s affected by the heat.

I am a us based australian who has been making primitive bows for a few years. In teutonic areas the yew had important symbolic significance. There are many types of wood that make great recurve bows like osage orange bamboo red oak hickory ipe eastern redcedar dogwood and most hardwoods like oak and maple. I found the best wood for my recurve bow while i was learning the skills that come with handling a recurve bow and making my recurve bow the very best.

In the simplest and crudest terms possible the wood should be able to bend but not break. Yew forests were once common in france and germany. Its strong compression and weak tension make it perfect for making english longbow designs with a d shaped cross section. This is the best wood for making a longbow as it is so brittle and light.

The two most commonly used bow woods are pacific yew and osage orange. Post nov 04 2011 1 2011 11 04t03 31. Wood is still used as the core spacer between layers of fiberglass or other material. Those who use bows made from osage orange would tell you that these bows are among the best ones in all of archery.

The wood of the yew tree is both strong and flexible. The wood must be able to bend without breaking. Archery bows present a somewhat unique challenge in finding the right requirements for the best wood. Two important characteristics determine the suitability of wood for bow making.

It can be used in making flat bows but in this case you will need to add sinew for the back to help with the tension problem. The wood of the english yew was used for bows by celtic and teutonic warriors a practice which eventually led to the demise of the great yew forests of western europe.