Need some staves.

[crooketarrow]

 I have HICKORY (pignut,shagbark),ELM,SUGAR BERRY,MULLBERRY,FLOWERING DOGWOOD. FEW SETS OF OSAGE BILLETS.(25 YEARSOLD) I'll send you #1 staves.

 I also have a few 3 or 4 rate osage staves (also 25 years old). There's a bow in them if you like to take the time to let it out. I went through that creataive stag.

  I'd like to trade for 1 or 2 yew staves. I also need a ocean spray stave not a sappleing. I'll do you right on any trades.

  PM ME

[wizardgoat]

How long of a yew stave are you looking for? Billets?
Ocean spray is typically sapling size. I've never seen anything over 2"

[duke3192]

I've got two sets of yew billets, cut in Orgeon , about 20 years ago, will trade for osage billets, I' take staves if you insist.

[crooketarrow]

  I've bought OC staves from WASHINGTON ST. BACK IN THE LATE 80'S.

  Sorry duke I quit make billet bows 15 years ago. 

[vinemaplebows]

I have got to ask...what is the prejudice against billet bows?? (I hear this a lot) If you were to find a OS that big it wood be worth the cost of premium yew, that's how hard it is to find in that size, remember it is a shrub, not a tree.

VMB

[duke3192]

For myself I like billets, maybe others have trouble with the splices. I had the pleasure several years ago of examining an osage static, found in the attic of a house my friend was remolding, Billets spliced so finely that you almost couldn't see glue lines, fish tail type, but cut at a 1/4", with four cuts in the splice. The bow was dated for 1952 or 3, couldn't make out singature at all.

[vinemaplebows]

For myself I like billets, maybe others have trouble with the splices. I had the pleasure several years ago of examining an osage static, found in the attic of a house my friend was remolding, Billets spliced so finely that you almost couldn't see glue lines, fish tail type, but cut at a 1/4", with four cuts in the splice. The bow was dated for 1952 or 3, couldn't make out singature at all.

Seems like a reasonable amount of people don't feel a billeted bow is of the same quality as a one piece bow....even if the spilicing is done for them. I totally understand if you want a "D" bend through the handle bow....but rigid handled...don't get it at all? Really wonder what people are thinking, and why? I generally can get billets to align almost perfectly with quality billets...not so with a stave without a bunch of bending.

VMB

[crooketarrow]

  Spliceing billets togethers a step that can be avoled. And a step that can fail.

  I've build a few billet bows and they were ok. But to me a real selfbows one peice of wood.

  I can just see the indains around the camp fire. One leans over and says shit I got apoxy all over my mocans. No matter that splice will never hold anyways. Quick close the vice.

  I still need a yew stave. At least 65 inch lenth. Down to 60 inch for me personally.

[Eric Krewson]

I have made at least 100 billet bows, never had a failure. What I did have were the best matched limbs one could hope for from side by side sister billets or piggy back billets in most cases. All the bows I have made with completely clear wood, not even a pin, were from matched billets taken from the base of a tree.

Billet staves are the best you can find in most cases and overwhelmingly my first choice for future bows.