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Harvesting yew

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wundabred:
good advice for the trunks, but what about the branches?

The branches should be marked with a black marker, if possible, as to the TOP.  Branch wood makes the best bows, and the top of the branches make the best backs.   I have seen yew trees with arm-thick branches 20 feet long, practically free of knots.   Goldmine of perfect bow wood.   For branch wood, cut it into the largest useable sections you can.  I usually cut all my staves overlength, and don't bother sealing the back.   When time comes to start carving, i locate the center of the grip, measure out the bow from there, and cut off any checking in the process.

May i ask you, if you have 3 yew trees on your property, just cut one?  Or take the branches?  It's great wood, but a rare tree.  The branches are the best part anyway.  Not to rain on your parade, just saying. 

good luck!

Oberon:
  I just plan to harvest one and some branches from the largest.  In fact will be doing this real soon.

Pomerb:
Oberon,  I live in Corvallis and I have had the opportunity to harvest some yew wood off of the private Starker forest.  I have a contact there that looks for it at the loggings sites as it is usually put on the burn piles as they don't see it as an economical wood in the Doug Fir forest.  The material I have has been from the coastal mountain and second growth.  I have made a few very nice bows from the staves and billets.

I picked this bow making business up two years ago when I met a fellow that was on Sebatical at Oregon State Univ.  He is from Germany and had learned the art of building longbows when he got his Doctorate in Naughtingham England.  His specialty was Atmospheric Geology and when he got a chance for his 1 yr Sebatical he came to Corvallis cause it was the home of Gillman Keasey (twice US Natl Long Bow champ in the 1930s who was a famous bow maker.  Gillman has been gone for over 10 yrs (I did'nt know he existed, died in his 80's.  Gillman also co-wrote a manual that was used for over 40 yrs to teach college womens archery PE classes.

I offered my shop up to the German fellow and he taught me how to build bows from yew, and from laminations, etc.  I could not have pointed a yew tree out prior to that to save my life.  So, now I am hooked on this stuff and spend a lot of time in my shop shaving wood off of sticks.  I am a Boy Scout Master and I have enjoyed sharing this craft with many Scouts in our council.

So, I offer up what ever I have learned to you, especially as a fellow Oregonian where the Pacific Yew grows. 
My name is Blair Pomeroy, cell # 541-740-1588.  I would love to learn where there is yew that is from higher elevations in the state.  The coastal trees I have harvested have pretty wide growth rings and pretty thick sap wood, but I have had a couple of beautiful pieces that have made bows in the mid 50# range.  John Strunk has measured some of my bows and given me a pretty good grade on the work.  Maybe we can have a splitting party sometime. 

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