It's just incredibly forgiving
I have no doubts about your assertation, Will, but I have to ask if forgiveness, as a working quality, is a relative thing? It's quite logical to say that Yew is a more forgiving wood to work with, than say, Oak. The implication being, that it is easier to execute a given design using Yew.
But to me, this indicates that yew is a superior wood for bowmaking, and therefore is capable of
of being well utilized in a more highly strained designs. Said another way, with the care and attention needed to craft a bow from a "lesser" wood, with equal effort, could not a superior bow can be had from yew?
It almost sounds like you are advocating sloppy workmanship is acceptable, but I have seen in other threads where you have made strong recommendation to a neophyte, to accept nothing less than the best tiller possible, even if the bow comes in way under design weight.
I admire your work that you have posted, and know you are meticulous about your own workmanship, so some of the advice you have presented in this thread seems confusing.
Perhaps I have made a poor assumption about the capabilities of yew? As much as I have always wanted to work with yew, I do not have the luxury of obtaining it locally at a reasonable expense, and maybe I should not bother, if it is not usable for an exceptional bow?
with respect,
willie