So, a while back in the summer i went to visit some friends in their cabin on the edge of the cascades. The whole family is really into primitive skills/hunting. I've known one of their sons since i was like 5 (now he's 15.) He mostly makes laminated bows.
I was planning on seeing what kind of wood grew around there, and i saw a bunch of cedar so i planned on getting that. When we got to the cabin we started talking about yew, and he said they had seen some on a hike. So we went up there and sure enough there was a small grove.
Later when we got back I taught him a bit about making quick primitive bows, and since this was my first time with yew it was a learning experience for me, too.
When we had the bows floored tillered i showed him how to quick-dry the wood over a fire. The next day we tillered the bows and started shooting them.
I made mine quite short and pretty heavy, (probably 70#) and his was about 50# and longer. He didn't like the way his shot at all, so i made some modifications on the handle and tips to get some speed and accuracy. Later it shot real good, but unfortunately all my cheap carbon target arrows i had bought earlier broke when we went stumping.
But it was really fun anyway, and he wants to make more primitive bows now. He lives in Alaska, so i told him he could try using all the birch up there.
Enough of the story. I got a haul while we were up there and brought it back, and i got this really nice piece which was originally in reflex. Somehow it dried in deflex though...
Overall i love yew and it is really fun and quite easy to make a bow out of.
about 80#@24" (i'm going to start training for higher weights, i still have a few inches to go with this.)
it's probably around 55" ntn
Still needs to be sealed and i plan on wrapping the handle with some leather a generous person gave to me
