english
Ex Member
|
I wish, I really wish, hickory, osage and cedar grew in England. I mean, they can grow, in theory, but they aren't grown properly and aren't native. Elm is a great bow wood, apparently - according to Robert Hardy, the best in north Europe. Yew is not great in England, even if you can get it - temperate climate means that it grows quickly and the rings are spread out too much. I have an elm longbow that I bought but rarely use - it has long started to follow the string too much. Elm trees 10-20 inches wide?!! I'd kill for that. You could get about six staves from a tree like that, so long as it is straight grain. The problem would be splitting it. I was thinking about bow woods, and I think that the bristlecone pine, native to California/Nevada, would make a brilliant bow. It is so old and grows so slowly that the rings would be very close together. That's what I figure anyway. Problem is.... how could anyone cut down a 4,000 year old tree without conscience kicking in? Also, I was reading the Traditional Bowyers Bible "Other Bow Woods" section, and it says that any nut trees, and fruit trees, would make good bows. I used to use hazel to make bows (like most kids do), but I never thought it would make a good bow. It grows in nice diameter, is very easy to split, and is quite a sturdy wood. I think I am going to try to make a bow from it, a proper one. My only problem is the colour - just as drab, superficially, as ash - a boring white.
|