Juniper

[DC]

Does garden variety Juniper( probably Juniperus chinensis) work for bows?

[RandyN]

Not sure about the garden variety of Juniper but I have been taking limbs off the Juniper tree in my yard and they have been doing OK. Made one with a 24" draw, 1 layer of sinew, and then decided I wanted one more inch of draw. It blew up. It might have held together if I had used more sinew. The next one, working on now, will get 3 layers of sinew.

[Limbit]

I doubt it is Chinese juniper, but it does make a good bow if so. I use it often here in Taiwan. Same issues and benefits as all juniper. Has a darker heartwood purple and the smell is much better than most of the other juniper I have worked. It takes more set than the desert varieties possibly due to faster growth rate, so a correct sinewing is an important factor.