Stain / Finish for Hickory Backed Osage

[unclebuck60]

Finishing up a Hickory Backed Osage bow with a black locsut handle. My question is what type of stain (oil or water based) and finish would be best to use on this HBO? I believe the hickory and black locust takes staining differently then the osage. Curious to what would work best for both. Any color suggestions would be great as well. I was thinking of a reddish or darker color for the hickory & black locust and leave the osage natural cause it will darken with age.

Thanks,
UB

[Pat B]

I very rarely stain bows but to cut the "white" of a hickory backing I like to rub in charcoal dust with oil or dry. The charcoal dust gets into the early grain but not the late so it cuts the bright white hickory but subtlely. In less than a year the osage and locust will take on their own coloration. They will darken nicely on their own. I use Tru-Oil on all my bows.