What do you think?

[stuckinthemud]

There is a small, slender yew crossbow in the National Museum of Ireland. It is dead straight but damaged slightly at the centre, so it has been used.  It dates to between 10th and 12th century and is exactly like a mini ELB. I am interested in making a replica.  Here's the interesting part, it doesn't have any sapwood but the back ring is intact from the photos I've seen. Unfortunately I can't get permission to share them. I contacted the museum who pulled it from the case to have a good look.  They think the sapwood was deliberately removed, probably during manufacture. So, a yew short bow, highly stressed showing no set but with the sapwood removed and the ring chased with a rounded belly. If it had sapwood I would just think it was really carefully made and wish I was that skilled, but would a heartwood yew bow survive in use? What would you think?

[Hamish]

I don't see why an all heartwood bow wouldn't work. Taking no set, I would think unlikely with a crossbow.

Do you know where the bow was found? If buried in dirt there is the possibility that the sapwood rotted off, leaving just the heartwood. Same thing with the lack of set, pressure from being buried, or method of restoration might cause how the wood now looks.

[superdav95]

I could see a sinew backed all heartwood working vey well but my brain can’t compute all heartwood back without a backing of some kind.  I’ve made a few heartwood only bows that were sinewed.  They were great bows! 

[stuckinthemud]

The bow was found in wet ground in a site that has been said to have the best timber preservation in northern Europe - the Quay Street viking/Anglo Norman site at Dublin.  I have seen the conservation sheet which describes it's condition as not split or damaged and I specifically asked the curator whether the sapwood had been damaged, rotted or been eaten.  She was very clear the sapwood was deliberately, mechanically, removed, and that removal appeared to have been done during manufacture.