New Hornbeam Bow

[Big A]

I agree with Greg about the finish it really looks good.I will try that next time. That hornbean shoots as good as it looks. I like the 1-1/2" limb width. Another classy bow.

[cowboy]

Fine lookin bow Greg. I gotta bad case of withdrawls goin on - been stuck in a hotel too long. Can't wait to get back home to my wood, hehe - that just aint right .

[GregB]

Thanks Anthony! Your's really turned out nice, sweet tiller and hard shootin'!

Cowboy, hope you're able to get home soon...at least in time for the holidays. Maybe you can do some scrappin' then. I'll try and do some more scrappin' in your honor until you're able to get back at it!

[OldBow]

That sure is a dandy. Your pictures are great! Got you bookmarked for December Self Bow of the Month, too.  Thanks for the post.

[tom sawyer]

Excellent bow.  I do think it looks a little more like hop hornbeam (aka ironwood) but I'm no expert.  I got a similar bark pattern on my hop hornbeam.  The few American hornbeam (aka musclewood right?) trees I've seen were really "muscly" looking with very smooth bark.  By "muscly" I mean the trunk looked like a big leg with muscles, is that what you had?  As for the bark, the ones I saw were young trees and maybe the bark doesn't stay that way, I don't know.  Not being cantankerous, just wondering.

[Pappy]

I still think it is HHB we call AHB,Blue beach ,muscle wood.Not sure witch it is but it dose make a fine bow.
 Pappy

[DanaM]

My understanding is Hornbeam has smooth bark and HHB has scally rough bark.

[Justin Snyder]

You did good Greg. You kind of make me feel lazy with my spray urethane finish.  Justin

[GregB]

Thanks everyone for your kind remarks, I appreciate it!

I forget who post a website from a university where you could id trees. I'm almost positive that both the hb and hhb were similar bark, with the hhb bark being more where the bark curls away from the tree if that makes any sense. The smooth bark similar to beech or hackberry was NOT what I recall hb to look like. I could be wrong, but if anyone can post a picture that should settle the confusion.

Whatever the tree is...I like it!

[DanaM]

Heres what I found at this website
http://www.oplin.org/tree/name/commonname.html

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[tom sawyer]

No doubt, whatever it is you done a fine job.  The side profile is just perfect, and when you see the character in the stave it is even more amazing.

[GregB]

Thanks Lennie, I'm working on another...whatever the last one was , and just got finished shaping the handle area. Finished tillering it yesterday and went by and had Pappy help me recurve the tips yesterday afternoon. Its a straighter piece then the last one, although it does have some checks in the handle area. I haven't shot an arrow out of it yet, looking forward to seeing that first one fly.

To borrow a phrase from a good friend of mine..."Life is Good!".

Thanks for posting the pic's Dana, I couldn't tell much about the hb pic. Does it have smooth bark?

[tom sawyer]

So does it take a good bend?  You use steam or heat gun?

[cowboy]

Cowboy, hope you're able to get home soon...at least in time for the holidays. Maybe you can do some scrappin' then. I'll try and do some more scrappin' in your honor until you're able to get back at it!
[/quote]

 Appreciate that Greg, and will start scrapin as soon as everything else gets done. This time of year is too busy, and I'm a scrooge.

[venisonburger]

In Dana's pictures, the smooth bark one I believe is musclewood, and the top picture is hornbeam or ironwood.
My first stave bow was hornbeam, gave it away during a hog hunt in florida to the orange grove owners brother, he fell in love shooting it. I miss it.
Nice bow by the way Greg.
VB