Cherry stave cracking

[missilemaster]

Cherry is no good for bows.

What!?? Rubbish! Cherry will make a fine bow. I've made several, both board and stave. It does tend to chrysal if you're tiller is not spot on. Cherry has very low hysteresis, and if you can get a bow to survive, it will be one of the sweetest and fastest bows you'll ever shoot.

 I have never heard of choke cherry being referred to as just cherry. I know chokecherry will make a bow, but wild and black cherry I wouldent invest my time in.

[Sidewinder]

Now your on the right path. Grab that piece of osage and make the man a bow.You only get one chance to make a good impression on someone thats gonna shoot his first wood bow.
  My one and only experience with cherry was a blow up. I'm thinking smokin the fish is a good idea for cherry. I would'nt waste my time on marginal wood unless you are a bow making machine and trying to push the envelope. I know adb has made some but that is the exception and not the rule. Danny

[chamookman]

My very first Self Bow was Black Cherry I cut on the Farm where I live. Still shoots, had a propeller twist that never totally came out and came in under weight (right around 40 lbs). Almost forgot, it was backed with Pin Cherry bark I harvested on the Farm also. Bob

[TimBo]

I've wondered why few black cherry bows turn up on here, and now I guess I have an answer.  Tim Baker seems to really like it in TBB, but he does say it usually needs to be backed - is there perhaps a bit of a prejudice against a wood that needs a backing (and isn't as beautiful as ERC)?

[adb]

Cherry is actually one of my favourite core laminations in tri-lam bows. I've used it in ELBs and flatbows. I currently have a tri-lam flatbow, maple backed, cherry core and osage belly. It's one of the sweetest and fastest tri-lam bows I've made. Besides yew, it's the best core wood I use.

[missilemaster]

Yes, as a core wood I bet it rocks. Glass bower use it too. Just so long as it is sandwiched in between two stronger woods!