Main Discussion Area > English Warbow
Is Yew Good?
Keenan:
Having made and worked with much yew I think some of these statements to be very generalized. As with any wood design and the workmanship of the bowyer plays a huge role in performance and longevity of the bow. As stated there are always certain flaws or character factors to consider. I have worked some yew of extreamly tight, clean grianed wood that would have made a great war bow material and have had some that I would never use for that type of bow.
Personally I think yew makes a better bow as a shorter flat bow version. I still disagree with the comment that a yew bow will not last or would get "shot out" quickly. It would be more likely that the bow was under built or poor design for that piece of wood. Crysals are caused more by design flaws from the bowyer then anything. Yes some wood crysals easier then orther woods but that is not the case with yew.
My most favorite bow is a 58" D/R yew self bow that I shoot weekly,is several years old and has only got better with age. Keenan
nick1346:
Is yew any good for an English Warbow? Not wanting to sound flippant but it's like asking asking if milk is any good for ice cream. Strictly speaking an English warbow should only be made of yew, that is afterall what they were made of. Good quality yew is superb, these days it is in short supply so lamiantes are used but there are good sources of yew available if you are willing to pay and wait for them. Italiian, some very good English and Pacific yew (not strictly historical but very, very good and close). But not Swiss ::)
D. Tiller:
I think Yew has its pluses and minuses. But as a high draw weight ELB warbow design it's built to last only a short time. It's like a high powered race car. Fantastic for a while but breaks down quickly! Yew can make a very durable bow if the right design is used. More flatbow instead of high crowned belly will extend life of the bow much longer. But, its not and ELB then! Pluses and minuses!
bow-toxo:
I have tried Osage, hickory, elm and yew. My preference is yew, partly because I find the cast at least as good as the others and partly because I find very little string follow [unlike my two elm bows], but mostly because it has been thought the absolute best bow wood for thousands of years by archers of different cultures in all parts of Europe. I take their word for it.
stevesjem:
--- Quote from: D. Tiller on May 26, 2008, 08:09:55 pm ---I think Yew has its pluses and minuses. But as a high draw weight ELB warbow design it's built to last only a short time. It's like a high powered race car. Fantastic for a while but breaks down quickly! Yew can make a very durable bow if the right design is used. More flatbow instead of high crowned belly will extend life of the bow much longer. But, its not and ELB then! Pluses and minuses!
--- End quote ---
Where on earth do you get your ideas that these bows will only last a short time, i only shoot self yew warbows and my bows have lasted me for ages, 1000's of arrows, other warbow archers like Mark Stretton, Glennan Carnie etc also do the same shoot heavy bows which have lasted them ages.
Some strange notions here.
Steve
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