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Author Topic: Yew v Laburnum  (Read 11161 times)

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Offline nathan elliot

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Yew v Laburnum
« on: September 24, 2009, 04:21:52 pm »
Just finished up my first Yew longbow! This is the fulfilment of an ambition I have had since I was a boy. Yew sure is a great bow wood.
Just before I finished the yew I completed a really nice laburnum longbow. Laburnum is another one of those woods that has a great contrast between the heart and sapwood. I have read that the ancient Gauls would pick Laburnum over Yew to make there bows. So It was good fun to compare the two woods back to back so to speak.

First up is laburnum 65" pulling 72# @ 28". Backed with linen and TB3






Laburnum is a great bow wood. This bow is 1" wide at the centre tapering to 1/4" at the nock. I have read that the sapwood is week in tension, thats why I backed it. I don't think it is so I am going to leave my next one's unbacked.

This is my yew longbow
74"nock to nock 60# @ 28". The stave had quite some decurve, so I recurved the tips to keep the set down .







I have 3 laburnum stave's and 4 yew, give me a couple of months and I will have a better idea. But right now I think those ancient Gaul warriors may have had something.

Regards
Nat








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Offline medicinewheel

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Re: Yew v Laburnum
« Reply #1 on: September 24, 2009, 04:32:31 pm »
Both really nice!
I have Laburnum standing aroud, too, waiting to be bend some day...
Hey, where are you located? Looks really German in the background!
« Last Edit: September 25, 2009, 02:45:18 am by medicinewheel »
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Frank from Germany...

Offline bigcountry

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Re: Yew v Laburnum
« Reply #2 on: September 24, 2009, 04:46:50 pm »
Real nice looking bows.  Did you make the tips?
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Westminster, MD

Offline Kent D.

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Re: Yew v Laburnum
« Reply #3 on: September 24, 2009, 05:40:16 pm »
Looks great.  Great tiller.
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Offline woodstick

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Re: Yew v Laburnum
« Reply #4 on: September 24, 2009, 06:17:02 pm »
2 very nice bows.
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a drawn bow is a stick 9/10 broken

Offline Pat B

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Re: Yew v Laburnum
« Reply #5 on: September 24, 2009, 06:22:27 pm »
Both bows are very nice. I've worked yew and like it as a bow wood but I've never worked laburnum. I've only seen it here in landscapes and it is a cultivated hybrid.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Dano

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Re: Yew v Laburnum
« Reply #6 on: September 24, 2009, 06:27:56 pm »
Great looking bows!!
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"If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy."


Nevada

Offline bootboy

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Re: Yew v Laburnum
« Reply #7 on: September 25, 2009, 01:42:46 am »
i was wondering where he was from to...it DOES look very german!
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knapp 'um if you got 'um

Offline billy

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Re: Yew v Laburnum
« Reply #8 on: September 25, 2009, 02:30:10 am »
Regardless of where he's from, just tell him not to let the string go when he's drawing those bows in such small confines....that arrow would ricochet right into his face!
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Marietta, Georgia

Offline medicinewheel

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Re: Yew v Laburnum
« Reply #9 on: September 25, 2009, 02:50:01 am »
Not to speak of the defect in the wall it might cause...  8) 8) 8)
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Frank from Germany...

Offline nathan elliot

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Re: Yew v Laburnum
« Reply #10 on: September 25, 2009, 04:35:26 am »
I knew bowyers are an observant lot, but this is amazing. How you guys can tell I am in Germany from brick work is astounding! Yeah I am stationed in Germany at the moment, good call. Gald you like the bows.

Nat
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Offline dwardo

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Re: Yew v Laburnum
« Reply #11 on: September 25, 2009, 06:04:00 am »
I was given a pipe straight yew log about 4 inch diamter, split it only to find it had two hearts and has sucked the bark into the middle :(
I would love to try yew again and those bows will be my inspriation to "find" some.
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Offline medicinewheel

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Re: Yew v Laburnum
« Reply #12 on: September 25, 2009, 06:12:56 am »
Quote from: nathan elliot on September 25, 2009, 04:35:26 am
... How you guys can tell I am in Germany from brick work is astounding! Yeah I am stationed in Germany at the moment, good call. ...

It's the well-trained instinct I iguess...  8) 8) 8)
Where are you? K-Town area??
That's near my mother's place.
Maybe we can get together some time, talking bows, shooting arrows...
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Frank from Germany...

Offline Pappy

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Re: Yew v Laburnum
« Reply #13 on: September 25, 2009, 06:43:01 am »
Beautiful bow,very nice job. :)
   Pappy
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Clarksville,Tennessee
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Offline nathan elliot

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Re: Yew v Laburnum
« Reply #14 on: September 25, 2009, 07:57:01 am »
Quote from: medicinewheel on September 25, 2009, 06:12:56 am
Quote from: nathan elliot on September 25, 2009, 04:35:26 am
... How you guys can tell I am in Germany from brick work is astounding! Yeah I am stationed in Germany at the moment, good call. ...

It's the well-trained instinct I iguess...  8) 8) 8)
Where are you? K-Town area??
That's near my mother's place.
Maybe we can get together some time, talking bows, shooting arrows...

I'm in NRW, near Koln & Dusseldorf. I could talk bows all day ;D talking to someone else would sure give my wife a rest. If your near by that would be cool
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