Thread: Best wood for making bows

The Tanekaha suggestion is interesting, it's a very nice tough timber, definitely less brittle than Macrocarpa. My yacht is Tanekaha below the waterline, Macrocarpa above. From nudging various rocks and reefs on Stewart Is I can say I'd prefer the Tanekaha (but it's 50 years since I made a bow, and back then it was a Lancewood stick).

Try this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8A1aSW_Q_s

Penobscot bow

Tanekaha is/was quite popular for fishing rods.

Originally Posted by WiseMushroom

Title pretty much says it all, I've knapped a couple of glass arrowheads before and I'm looking into making my own bow

could be worth a look
Dodonaea viscosa

The exceptionally hard wood of akeake (Dodonaea) was much favoured by Maori for making taiaha, patu and other weapons as well as garden implements

I think that Macro would be the easiest / most practical. Those low whooping branches on cow farm Macros that the cows rub their backs on are really strong and springy. Two of those branches shaped and fired hardened as per the Penobscot bow link above would have to be great

Yeah tanekaha or lancewood wood be good options.
Hickory shovel handles are good aparantly.

Josh James has a youtube video on making a longbow and he uses Kanuka

This chap does some rather neat videos of bow building.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVCMsbF_OD0

Dunno what he's like in person, but seems like a guy who I'd be happy to have a beer with.

Long bow or short bow, laminated bows are very powerful short bows as used by the Mongol hordes and many American first nations.

Originally Posted by Happy Jack

Long bow or short bow, laminated bows are very powerful short bows as used by the Mongol hordes and many American first nations.

Making a laminate bow with plaster board tape is on my long list of things to do. Buggered if I know how to use a bow, but making one will fill in the evenings for a few weeks.

Originally Posted by Barry the hunter

could be worth a look
Dodonaea viscosa

The exceptionally hard wood of akeake (Dodonaea) was much favoured by Maori for making taiaha, patu and other weapons as well as garden implements

Does Akeake have alot of elasticity?

dont know I also understand that they put it into a swamp to harden the taiaha - worth a look

Originally Posted by Happy Jack

Long bow or short bow, laminated bows are very powerful short bows as used by the Mongol hordes and many American first nations.

But it does require good upper body strength to pull those hard laminated bows as we knew from history as the "The last traditional bow marker" in China said in a TV show, and his family has been making bows for hundreds years.

Follow Clay Hayes if your interested in bow building

https://m.youtube.com/@clayhayeshunter/featured

Also this taught me so much about trad Archery

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1E1vKkSSoNs