Honey or yellow locust?

[LEGIONNAIRE]

what is the difference between honey and yellow locust? from looking at a tree how do I tell which is which? will honey L also make a good bow (shortbow that is)

[JustinNC]

yellow (black)? locust....Robinia pseudoacacia....is a compound leaf, leaflets(what most people think of as leaves) are kind of oval shaped, from the size of a penny to a quater or so, with DEEEEPLY furrowed bark on older trees, and have thorns that resemble a rose or blackberry thorn

honey locust...gleditsia triacanthos....is a bipinately compound lead....that resembles mimosa....tiny leaflets (leaves) about the size of those capsule like pills.....has 2-4" thorns...that unlike the  black (yellow) locust, will grow off of the trunk as well. Honey locust also has long seed pods that resemble 6-12" long flat bean pods that have a sweet/,mayonaise like smell about them.......deer LOVE them

As far as bow wood....and short bow...Im not sure.....

Black locust is good, but dont think it does well short. Not sure about honey locust, long or short.

[Pat B]

Justin gave a very good explanation!   Both will make good bows. I have made locust bows but never used honey locust.

[Cacatch]

Pat or Justin, what is the shortest unbacked BL you've ever made?

[Pat B]

I made a a 55 1/2" t/t locust flatbow(2" at the fades and out half the limb) pulling 47#@26" but kept pulling the string off the end of the bow at full draw. Didn't know about flipping the tips back in '03.
  I very rarely make locust bows because I have a hard time building them without fretting. Others are more successful at it than I am.

[PeteDavis]

I like to call the honey locust the hell tree-that is, if you are an animal that has to tree to escape a predator.



Pat-I have a really nice Black Locust board and a hickory backing strip. Do the same dimensions apply as we did on my last osage/hickory bow?

That bow is a cannon by the way. Thanks again.

PD

[Pat B]

Pete, I have a beautiful locust stave that Woodland Roamer gave me a few years ago and plan to get on it this winter. I also have a locust slat and hickory backing strip so I have the best of both worlds!  Now all I need is the time and inclination! 

[LEGIONNAIRE]

I beleive I have a log of thornless honey locust. I will give it a try see what it comes too.

[JustinNC]

I haven't....I just know my trees

[sailordad]

ceaser,if you have a thornless locust
its probably a hybrid that was developed for planting ornamentaly in yards
kids/pets/peoples feet dont along with thorns
not that it wont make a bow,probably make a great bow
my neighbor said he was gonna be cutting some limbs from his thornless locust
i told him let me know so i could get what i wanted from it 
i too want to give it a try

[LEGIONNAIRE]

cool sounds like a couple of locust bows comin up in the summer then.

[AncientArcher76]

Pat I cant wait for u to make that one!!!  Sounds like its a killer combo!  Lets see some pics when u get started!

Russ