Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Bill Vaughn on January 04, 2012, 03:33:03 pm
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Hi, all. Does anyone know which American tribes routinely used bows made of hawthorn? And any ideas about how these were constructed? Thanks.
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Hawthorn should make a very good bow if you can find any straight enough. I think RyanO built one a few years ago.
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Welcome to PA , Bill !!
I have been wanting to do some Hawthorn
so far I have not found any good stuff to use
Guy
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Welcome to PA , Bill !!
I have been wanting to do some Hawthorn
so far I have not found any good stuff to use
Guy
Ill get ya some Guy...stuff grows big n like weeds around here...I did cut some,but haven't made a bow from it yet,and I actually gave what I had away...n I can garaunty it'll have some character to.
Not sure if any NA tribes used hawthorn for bows??? It can be finicky after being cut
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So far as I know, Hawthorn is not native to this country so it's not likely that it was used by any native tribe in NA
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Marc, there are a few Hawthorns that are native to North America.
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I've made two bows from Hawthorn, and I like it. I think the type I have here in Oregon is Black Hawthorne, which my folks always call Thornberry. It's tough stuff, and if you don't mind a little twist or character, it works great. It would almost be worth coppicing a couple Hawthorn bushes just to get staves later on. If I had to make bows from only local woods, I would pick, in no particular order hawthorn, serviceberry, and yew, followed by douglas maple, which is hit or miss ( ha ha). Okay, not that funny.
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It would seem that there are a few native species of Hawthorn. I know they are not native to our area here because I remember my grandmother telling me that they were a pest and they didn't have any in the area, until my grandfather brought some from Quebec that is. I still doubt it was used since there are much easier wood to work available.