Sweet Cherry Recurve 45-50# @26"

[dreamcraft_archery]

Hi guys!

My first try at sweet cherry (Prunus avium) wood bow. The stave was seasoned for nearly 2 years. I used one sapwood growth ring for the back, the rest was the heartwood. What's interesting - both heartwood and sapwood at the same growth ring at some spots mixing with each other. The same thing can be observed on european ash wood.
I applied my trusty design on this one. Limbs at widest are 2 1/5". I tillered the bow to 45-50 lb at 26", 27" is the max draw. The bow is 66" ntn. For arrow shelf and horn overlays I used cow horn. I'm happy with the outcome. The stick took around 1" of set.

Here is my build along video:
https://youtu.be/ne8jUn8WOPM

Have a great day guys!

[diliviu]

What a beauty! Should be fast, also.

[dreamcraft_archery]

Thank you! Yes it feels fast!

[Pat B]

Very nice recurve. The bow looks nice with the contrast between the sap wood and heartwood. 

[Stixnstones]

Very cool lookin bow.... nice work

[WhistlingBadger]

Beautiful.  What's sweet cherry like to work with?  I aspire to build a bow out of chokecherry, but it has to be backed.  Anyway, I love the heartwood/sapwood contrast.

[superdav95]

Sweet bow!  Love those contrasting Colours.  Looks a lot like yew. 

[bentstick54]

Very nice looking recurve. Love the contrast between sapwood and heartwood also. Congrats on a job well done.

[Kidder]

That’s a really nice bow - probably my favorite of the bows I’ve seen you post, and you’ve posted some beauties. Great work!

[druid]

Very nice bow. Good work.   

[BowEd]

Beautiful outcome from your build.I've got black cherry here that makes excellent bows too if the design does'nt get too stressfull.

[bassman211]

Nice bow. W Badger 66 long , and 2 and 1/5 wide with linen, rawhide, sinew, or maybe no backing at if it is a really good piece of choke cherry should make you a successful bow. I am convinced the cc bows that blew for me were to narrow ,and short for the wood.

[Selfbowman]

I like it!

[dreamcraft_archery]

Thank you guys for your kind comments.
Speaking about my feelings about working with this wood - I'd say it's easy to work with hand tools and can be easily violated by the vise so it's a bit soft. I guess the cherry we have here in Europe might be sligthly different. After just a single build it's hard to say something for sure about this species. No doubts it's knotty and as I said the heartwood is mixing on the same growth ring with sapwood. Perhaps they have the same or similar properties. I think it handled this stressful design pretty well. 

[bjrogg]

Sweet. That’s just they shape I like em.
Bjrogg