Best woods for narrow profiles?

[coyote pup]

What north american bow woods work best in narrow profiles, such as 1" to 1.25" at the widest point of the bow? Length is not really important.

[Pat B]

Osage and yew come to mind for narrow profile bows.

[PeteC]

Osage!!! I've built quite a few hunting weight bows 1" or less, in width ,at the widest part of the limb.You can pull it off with whitewoods ,such as hickory,or hophornbeam,(well seasoned and dry) ,with a good tiller,which utilizes every inch of lenght ,and, heat treating the limbs.Check out the"little hickory bow D-bow",I posted last week,it's 1 1/8" at it's widest. God Bless

[whitewoodshunter]

As already stated Osage, Hickory Yew and hophornbeam

[DanaM]

I guess it depends to a certain extent on what the draw length and will be. Also design is an issue
a long ELB design is by nature narrow and many woods will work.

[Hillbilly]

I would also add black locust and red mulberry as excellent woods for narrow bend-through-the-handle designs. I have made good narrow bows from both.

[JackCrafty]

Narrow bows are difficult for me to make but are fascinating.  I've tried all sorts of wood and juniper has worked well for me.  I'm sure yew is good too (as already mentioned).  I've tried a couple narrow osage bows but they seems sluggish after a while.  Also, in the dry weather of West Texas my narrow bow designs are taking a beating.  I've broken three narrow bows in the last six months.

[Gordon]

Osage and Yew.

[Badger]

Osage is probably about the narrowest profile domestic wood we have because it is about the heaviest. I think design has more to do with the profile than the wood although wood does make a difference. A 72" long white wood bow bending through the handle and drawing 55# would almost never need to be much more than 1 1/8" wide. A 62" whitewood bow with a stiff handle should almost always be closer to 2" wide. I used to make my osage bows at about 1 1/4 for 62" but now have gone to 1 1/2" . I htink design is the bigger issue. Steve

[shamus]

From my experience: osage and yew.

Red mulberry would not work so well in a 1-1.25" profile. It needs to be made a smidge wider than osage.

thoughts of mine on bow design: http://analogperiphery.blogspot.com/2008/05/osage-flat-bow-dimensions.html

hope that helps.

[GregB]

Already a lot of good suggestions. I've seen a good dry piece of hickory make a fine narrow bow! 

[Hillbilly]

Red mulberry would not work so well in a 1-1.25" profile. It needs to be mad a smidge wider than osage.

Mulberry actually works great in a narrow D-bow or ELB design. I've made two or three like that that are good bows. The last bow I tillered out was a mulberry stacked belly a little less than 1 1/4" wide at the widest point, about 62" long, and pulling around 55# at 26". It shoots great, not much set, good feeling bow. Locust likes this design, too-but with a flat belly. I've found that the TBB design chapter is a good starting point, but I don't take it as the gospel until I've tried something.

[coyote pup]

Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions. 

[shamus]

Mulberry actually works great in a narrow D-bow or ELB design.

The Thompson Brothers thoguht the exact same thing.

good food for thought, Hillbilly. I might just try that on one of my mulberry staves.

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