Is Yew Good?

[Keenan]

Having made and worked with much yew I think some of these statements to be very generalized. As with any wood design and the workmanship of the bowyer plays a huge role in performance and longevity of the bow. As stated there are always certain flaws or character factors to consider. I have worked some yew of extreamly tight, clean grianed wood that would have made a great war bow material and have had some that I would never use for that type of bow.
  Personally I think yew makes a better bow as a shorter flat bow version. I still disagree with the comment that a yew bow will not last or would get "shot out" quickly. It would be more likely that the bow was under built or poor design for that piece of wood. Crysals are caused more by design flaws from the bowyer then anything. Yes some wood crysals easier then orther woods but that is not the case with yew.
My most favorite bow is a 58" D/R yew self bow that I shoot weekly,is several years old and has only got better with age.   Keenan

[nick1346]

Is yew any good for an English Warbow? Not wanting to sound flippant but it's like asking asking if milk is any good for ice cream. Strictly speaking an English warbow should only be made of yew, that is afterall what they were made of. Good quality yew is superb, these days it is in short supply so lamiantes are used but there are good sources of yew available if you are willing to pay and wait for them. Italiian, some very good English and Pacific yew (not strictly historical but very, very good and close).  But not Swiss

[D. Tiller]

I think Yew has its pluses and minuses. But as a high draw weight ELB warbow design it's built to last only a short time. It's like a high powered race car. Fantastic for a while but breaks down quickly! Yew can make a very durable bow if the right design is used. More flatbow instead of high crowned belly will extend life of the bow much longer. But, its not and ELB then! Pluses and minuses!

[bow-toxo]

I have tried Osage, hickory, elm and yew. My preference is yew, partly because I find the cast at least as good as the others and partly because I find very little string follow [unlike my two elm bows], but mostly because it has been thought the absolute best bow wood for thousands of years by archers of different cultures in all parts of Europe. I take their word for it.

[stevesjem]

I think Yew has its pluses and minuses. But as a high draw weight ELB warbow design it's built to last only a short time. It's like a high powered race car. Fantastic for a while but breaks down quickly! Yew can make a very durable bow if the right design is used. More flatbow instead of high crowned belly will extend life of the bow much longer. But, its not and ELB then! Pluses and minuses!

Where on earth do you get your ideas that these bows will only last a short time, i only shoot self yew warbows and my bows have lasted me for ages, 1000's of arrows, other warbow archers like Mark Stretton, Glennan Carnie etc also do the same shoot heavy bows which have lasted them ages.

Some strange notions here.

Steve

[Fundin]

I made a yew bow that I shoot regularly, it is 51#@26" 68"ntn longbow... I have shot it approximately 40000 shots and it havn´t lost one pound in drawweight, and is shooting with pleasing accuracy ;o)

 This is what I can do with it from 20 yards 

[david w.]

Wow fundin thats better than most people are with compounds

[Rich Saffold]

I was waiting for Stevesjem to comment I to torture my yew 3d bow regularly and it's still as good as new...It's all about the really good stuff, like it is for all bow woods...ya mess with the other stuff when yer learnin ...

Rich

[stevesjem]

I was waiting for Stevesjem to comment I to torture my yew 3d bow regularly and it's still as good as new...It's all about the really good stuff, like it is for all bow woods...ya mess with the other stuff when yer learnin ...

Rich

Nicely said Rich, BTW what do you mean you were waiting for me to comment? , Am i that predictable?

Cheers

Steve

[Heiner]

Nah, not really Steve. I expected your answer a lot earlier . What took you so long?

Regarding the topic, everything has been said, written and done. Yew is among the most superior bow woods on this planet. Taking everything into account, one can't cast it out of the top 5. Personal opinion will change that as little as discussing it the 123457894357th time.

And by the way, which mysterious bow maker, whose name obviously not shall be spoken out loudly or written to remain in time, are we talking about?

Heiner

[Fundin]

Yew is very good when good, but will break for no apparent reason if the quality is poor, I have experienced both. From two of the trees I just couldn´t make a bow that would hold together, and from the rest, the bows seemed unbreakable....

Also consider the MC of the wood, at least where I live, it can get down far to low during winter (Like 10-15%RH indoors), and if the bow is not properly shot in before, it will break more easily.

[adb]

I believe a warbow proportioned yew selfbow is a special bow for certain people. Yew is high performance, no doubt, but it is also high maintenance. It is a soft wood, requires knowledable tillering, and needs to be cared for with great attention. Not a good bow for first time or inexperienced archers. Also, they're expensive... to both make, and purchase. Owning a yew selfbow is the refinement of an archer's status as such. Like a car enthusiast owning a vintage MG. it requires knowledge and care. From experience, yew will not lose any performance, but would not make a good knock-around everyday shooter. Also, if Medieval bowyers could have gotten their hands on osage, don't you think they'd have used it, with great success? Especially with a hickory back? Yew was the best material they had at the time, for heavy weight warbows. A yew selfbow is a truly amazing piece of our living history... well worth experiencing.
Cheers.

[Rich Saffold]

Steve, Since you have made more Yew warbows than most  if not all here, I knew it would be interesting..in a good way  

Rich

[D. Tiller]

Steve, I still stand by what I said. The design is a high stress design when done properly and not overbuilt. In constant day to day use in all weather conditions it will wear down. Have you been out with it in sheeting rain, snow and high humidity conditions as we have here in the states, especially during hunting season?

For everyday use and a bow that can take these conditions I will stick with either osage or vinemaple! Yew is a great wood for a performance bow but not fore the everyday hunting bows I would take in the woods. Plus, its too expensive to use in such a manner!

[juniper junkie]

in my own experiences i think the english longbow design is a very poor design for yew, with the rounded belly it concentrates compression which results in frets and crysals, I have made several yew bows that have more of a flat belly and they out-perform the ELB pound for pound. and I have had very few break. I think the warbow was a quick bow to make and its length helped to make it last. you can laminate various other woods to help  the bows longevity, but then it is no longer a self-bow. as far a durability in hunting, I used a yew bow a entire season in rain, snow and heat, and never lost any weight or performance, but of course the bow was finished and sealed to repel any moisture. vinemaple seems to be more affected by heat and moisture than yew. as far a de-laminating, you can see in the growth rings if there is any wind shake or snow load that caused a stress seperation between the rings by a dark streak, these can de-laminate if not wrapped with sinew. I personally really prefer yew, it is pleasant to shoot, light, and quick responding. it is also nice to work with, responds well to steaming or boiling for recurving tips. I try not to toss my bows around too much as the wood is prone to denting. as with any wood, there are varying qualities, some of which will not be recognized until the bow is coming to tiller, and therefore is hard to determine in just stave form.