Author Topic: Any advantages to Hop Hornbeam?  (Read 11653 times)

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Offline tom sawyer

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Re: Any advantages to Hop Hornbeam?
« Reply #15 on: July 28, 2008, 06:48:11 pm »
Heck I don't know, I never considered any ELB to be that great of a performer.  I do see certain advantages in an oval cross section, and a 68" bow won't have a hard bend.  Narrowing the outer limbs will counter the mass in the length to some extent.  Would that be preferable to a 64" 1.5"+ width to mid-limb?  Who knows.  I built the latter and wasn't that impressed, but that is one stave and done in a humid environment.  Plus I am not the best bowyer to begin with

Dano, I did smoke some ribs yesterday with a little hickory.  Might've drifted West overnight.  The ribs were a hit.
Lennie
Hannibal, MO

Offline Badger

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Re: Any advantages to Hop Hornbeam?
« Reply #16 on: July 28, 2008, 06:53:59 pm »
  I still believe that almost anywood can be used for any design you want to make as long as you use the proper demensions. My bendy handle hhb bow was about 140# and 1 1/8 wide about 72" long. Took no set and was a real screamer. I still can't see any significant difference in performance between any wood as long as the mc is right. Some woods are more tolerant of moisture than others no doubt. Steve

Offline JackCrafty

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Re: Any advantages to Hop Hornbeam?
« Reply #17 on: July 28, 2008, 07:06:17 pm »
As far as performance, all my bows tend to be a bit slow anyway...flat, ELB, pyramid...etc.  The fastest bow I have is a juniper recurve.  Maybe a wide limb HHB recurve would be the fastest design?  ;)
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Offline PatM

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Re: Any advantages to Hop Hornbeam?
« Reply #18 on: July 28, 2008, 08:12:18 pm »
Didn't Marc just mention "White lightning" on the "fastest selfbow" thread?
 HHB is outstanding wood and even better with heat treating.

 Pat

Rich Saffold

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Re: Any advantages to Hop Hornbeam?
« Reply #19 on: July 28, 2008, 08:27:17 pm »
Hop Hornbeam is great stuff...Especially when very  dry.. ;D


Offline Marc St Louis

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Re: Any advantages to Hop Hornbeam?
« Reply #20 on: July 28, 2008, 10:00:22 pm »
Some of my fastest bows have been made out of HHB.  Only the very best Osage can beat HHB and even that is debateable
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Offline tom sawyer

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Re: Any advantages to Hop Hornbeam?
« Reply #21 on: July 28, 2008, 10:10:43 pm »
So hop hornbeam is martini wood (best when dry).
Lennie
Hannibal, MO

Offline Pappy

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Re: Any advantages to Hop Hornbeam?
« Reply #22 on: July 29, 2008, 05:34:33 am »
What Badger and Marc said,I would rank it right up at the top of wood I have used and
I have used a lot of different wood.Maybe not as good as Osage but much better than
Hickory at least as far as resisting moisture after it is finished. :)
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Offline GregB

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Re: Any advantages to Hop Hornbeam?
« Reply #23 on: July 29, 2008, 08:16:11 am »
I agree with Badger, Marc, and Pappy...HHB and osage are at the very top of my preferred wood list for bows. We haven't had as much success getting HHB to take as much reflex as osage with its natural oils which is easily recurved. If you get HHB dry, and induce some reflex it makes an excellant bow. My #1 hunting bow this fall is an HHB.
Greg

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Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: Any advantages to Hop Hornbeam?
« Reply #24 on: July 29, 2008, 08:57:26 am »
It is a very good bow wood. I like it but it's not  my fav. Bow woods are climate specific. You all know that. A good  barometer is too see what the Native Americans used. In New England white oak, hickory and black locust were used. Jawge
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Re: Any advantages to Hop Hornbeam?
« Reply #25 on: July 29, 2008, 09:39:23 am »
George, I'm in south-eastern Indiana, what wa popular among NA here? I've always wondered since we have a lot of native bow woods, Black Locust, HHB, White Ash, 3 or 4 kinds of hickory, Elm, etc.

~~Papa Matt

DCM

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Re: Any advantages to Hop Hornbeam?
« Reply #26 on: July 29, 2008, 10:49:14 am »
I can't believe no one has mentioned it doesn't get as big as most white woods and it frequently grows with more twist or character than most whitewoods.  But I agree it's probably faster than osage with very low moisture content.  I think it is more brittle than say hickory, certainly elm.  I have popped a back ring a couple of times with hhb, where those little ridges form usually.  One survived a with a CA repair, not even a wrap job which I adhore.  I'd rather start a new bow than wrap a limb.  Other I haven't tested again but it was a very high stress design, and a much large crack.  If it's any measure of my opinion, hhb was the only wood besides osage I tried for the 58", 60# @ 28" "Ambush bow" contest.  It is the aforementioned that popped big on the back ring.  I don't think it would do as well, as osage, in a high humidy environment.

Can't say there are any real advantages over other woods though.  Each wood, hell each specimen, has it's own unique strenghts and weaknesses.

Offline DanaM

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Re: Any advantages to Hop Hornbeam?
« Reply #27 on: July 29, 2008, 10:55:03 am »


Can't say there are any real advantages over other woods though.  Each wood, hell each specimen, has it's own unique strenghts and weaknesses.

Now that is well said :)

Heck I just made a Sumac bow I will post in a week or so, everyone said you can't make a bow from Sumac ??? Of course its not white wood its Green :D
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