Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Josh B on August 15, 2012, 10:36:03 pm
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I cut this along a small river in the Montpelier area of southeast Idaho. It was growing in a nasty, dense, and thorny thicket. Most of it was gnarled and twisted. Any ideas as to what it is? Josh
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Looks like hawthorne. Supposed to be pretty decent bow wood.
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I would agree...
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Want to say crabapple cause the leaves and fruit look just like the one in my front yard here in the midwest but now looking back at your pictures I think thats a thorn I see in there so good chance I'm wrong.
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Hawthorne . Hard ,dense wood.Crooked as hell. I cut one last winter ,roughed it out to dry quicker ,without checking which worked great except it twisted well over 90 deg. from one end to the other. I heard you can tie them to a board while the dry to try to keep them straight. I have far too many agreeable wood species available to me that want to be bows, to be bothered with the revenge it wreaks for cutting it down. The ripe berries make a lovely jelly however!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Sorta looks like a downy hawthorn (Crataegus mollis scheele). South Quebec and Nova Scotia, south toWest Virginia and Alabama, west to South Central Texasand north to South East South Dakota
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Hawthorns hybridize like crazy, there are all forms of leaves on them. Bark also varies, but the fruit look all right.
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She's a wild crabapple alright.
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It looks a little like a thorn apple i saw once near oakley idaho but its been a while so im not sure
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The hawthorne I've cut warped n twisted even when I made it same width and thickness full length. Reduce it down to near bow dimensions,seal ALL surfaces with shellac and strap it down to a board. Then set in a cool damper place for a couple months and slowly let the moisture out.
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Bark resembles Hawthorn but the leaves look nothing like any Hawthorne I've ever seen (especially here in the NW). My vote goes to wild Crabapple. The leaves look appley ;) (as well as the little flares on the botom of the fruit). Having grown up in an apple orchard, I'm very familiar with apple leaves.
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Leaves and fruit look alot like crab apple,but the bark doesnt look like any crab apple i have seen. Also the wild crab apples around my neck of the woods are covered in thorns.
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They are both closely related and both crab apple and hawthorn make good bows if you can find a piece straight enought to build a bow with.
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Thanks for the replies everyone. I've spent the last couple days looking at hundreds of pictures trying to figure out for sure what it is. I gave up and decided to go with Pat's line of thought, call it bow wood and try to make a bow from it. Thanks again, Josh
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You could talk to a local arborist either at a college or power company
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Thanks for the replies everyone. I've spent the last couple days looking at hundreds of pictures trying to figure out for sure what it is. I gave up and decided to go with Pat's line of thought, call it bow wood and try to make a bow from it. Thanks again, Josh
Yup, that's it!
'Bow wood' LOL
I knew I recognised it! ;D
Del
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Like to see some end rings on that >:D build a bow with that thorny apple infested stuff
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Thanks for the replies everyone. I've spent the last couple days looking at hundreds of pictures trying to figure out for sure what it is. I gave up and decided to go with Pat's line of thought, call it bow wood and try to make a bow from it. Thanks again, Josh
bowwood! good call doc
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Lol! Good eye Del! Anasazi, that would be an option if I was from that area, however I was just passing through the area and sorta aquired the limb on the fly. >:D. The wood appears to be diffuse porous and extremely dense. It is at least as heavy as Osage. While its green anyway. Thanks for the replies, Josh
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I am firmly in the crab apple camp. Bark, leaves, berries (apples) and thorns are all on the money.
Gabe
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And its awesome bow wood if you can dry a straight-ish piece.
Gabe
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Thanks Gabe. How does it take heat correction? I haven't split it yet, but just by looking at the bark I have a feeling that its gonna be a handful. I doesn't appear to have a straight propeller twist. More like a snakey back and forth twist. I will probably wait til spring to find out for sure. Thanks, Josh