Price on Yew

[Gordon]

I live in the NW and am not aware of any government restrictions that are specific to harvesting yew. Yew used to grow all over the coastal and mid-Willamete area, but has largely disapeared from these areas because of logging, agriculture and development. Most of the remaining yew exists on public lands at higher elevations. There is still a good amount up there, but you have to get a permit from the Forest Service to harvest it, and depending on the district, that is not always easy to accomplish.

[Dano]

Thanks Gordon, that is what I've heard as well. I guess osage would be the same way if we had to pay the farmer and then climb 5000 feet to get it.

[adb]

Most anything is only worth what someone is willing to pay. Personally, I have paid $250 for a warbow quality stave of Oregon yew... 80" long, 60+ rpi, straight, no knots. That kind of stave is a rare thing, and to me, worth every penny. I'm interested in the martial aspects of historical  archery, and to replicate such a bow requires special wood. It's all in your perspective. A stave of this quality probably comes from a tree of 200+ years... a daunting thing, when you stop to think about it. Also, economics are not necessarily (and definately not in this case) political.

[david w.]

I $150 yew stave is a heck of alot cheaper than buying a bow, especially a fg bow

[brian melton]

          I live in WA. and have had the same expirience as Gordon. Yews price is high because of the demand for perfection in a stave. I have cut lots of yew, and even where there is a lot of trees, there a very few that make the grade....for the expectations of those that seek it.

Brian

[billy]

Yew is good, but I honestly don't think it's any better than osage or hickory or black locust as long as you use common-sense designs.  I think a lot of the romance of yew has to do with the fact that it was used by the English for their notoriously powerful longbows, but its rarity also adds to the demand.  Honestly I wouldn't spend the money on it when you can get plenty of good woods in your own backyard.  Hell, western juniper makes a fantastic bow in my opinion, and that stuff is like a weed in the high deserts of Oregon.  Bow quality staves are a challenge to find, but it makes some stunning bows if you leave some heartwood on the belly.  Sinew back it just to be safe.

Ya'll would have cried if you had seen the large numbers of yew trees that were killed when the B & B Fire raged in the Cascade mountains of Oregon a few years ago.  About 90,000 acres of forest were scorched, and Steve Allely and I surveyed hundreds of dead yew trees that were 7 feet long, 2 inches in diameter, and pipe straight with almost no branches.  You could have made enough English longbows to arm a battalion of archers...but now they are just skeletons that are cracked and slowly rotting away.   

[bigcountry]

the highest quality yew used to come from the italy, spain, or portugal. Yew's almost extinct in the latter two, so we're now restricted to italian yew. Even in italy, quality yew is very rare, and it's a protected species. The few Yew logs, with a decent rpi and straightness, are in high demand. Thus an escalating price.

Since yew is so poisonous, it's almost driven to extinction by the farmers. Funny to see how we humans both hate yew and love yew. What's less funny is that both extremes eventually lead to extinction.

Tumalt, I hope you don't find any political stuff in this very reply. However I'm sure you can find it if you dig far enough. Please don't be so overly (political) correct, or just, don't reveal you are.

Nick

This got me thinking.  Is the yew there same as in WA state?  I always wondered where the English and others got thier wood.  Not too many high elevations in UK.

[bigcountry]

Most anything is only worth what someone is willing to pay. Personally, I have paid $250 for a warbow quality stave of Oregon yew... 80" long, 60+ rpi, straight, no knots. That kind of stave is a rare thing, and to me, worth every penny. I'm interested in the martial aspects of historical  archery, and to replicate such a bow requires special wood. It's all in your perspective. A stave of this quality probably comes from a tree of 200+ years... a daunting thing, when you stop to think about it. Also, economics are not necessarily (and definately not in this case) political.

I know I am nuts, but I am about ready to pull the trigger on another stave to have another go at it.  Even though I could buy two quality osage staves from Mike for the same price.

[burn em up chuck]

 i live in vanc. wa. and i would say i look at approx. 1800 yew tree's before i find just one to harvest. it took me almost 2yr.'s before i found my first stand.that is just one aspect of getting yew. and w/that in mind i have seen yew as high as $450 per stave.
  i have since decided to try other types of wood,vinemaple , oceanspray, elderberry etc.
  sapling bows hold a big interest for me right now, plus easier access to more wood.

                                                                            chuck

[bigcountry]

I am a very political person, but I enjoy this site because it gives me a break from the political world and I have seen how great sites like this can get ugly when politics intrude. I think the no politics, no religion rule is brilliant. It wasn't the comments about the supply and demand that bothered me, but the comments that have since been deleted by moderators about the current president and his economic policies (connection to yew staves?). I won't repeat them as I don't want to drag up a debate.  Needless to say they were about as overtly political as you can get.  

Oh and tumalt is the name of a chinook chief who was friends with my great great grandpa and saved my family from a raid by the Yakima tribe, has nothing to do with causing a ruckus. I'm just hoping for discussions and even debates about bows--not our current president.  I'm a history and economics teacher--I discuss this stuff all day with my students--I can't tell you how nice it is to have a place filled with beautiful wood bows instead of politics Thanks.

Come on man, if you have something to add to my thread on yew bows, then go for it.  If not, I can understand why you wouldn't want to read it anymore and post your own thread.

[Aosda]

My grandfather and I were just talking about the price of yew.  He didn't know what I was talking about, he remebers Lemonwood being the prized wood for bows when he was younger.  But yeah, $150 for a stave is a bit much.  Heck, even $60 for Osage is too much for me right now.

[DanaM]

 If you want a good debate on politics or most anything else offensive or that will pi$$ you off, PM DanaM.

Thanks for the endorsement eddie

Tim I'm cheap not frugal, got to be honest eh

Someday I will latch on to a piece of Yew, but as someone else said a good bow can be made from most woods

[DCM]

Tumalt evidently was responding to a post which nobody else read, which has been deleted.  From what's he's described of it, I agree with him.  Ya'll all need to take a chill pill. 

Tumalt, you might consider editing your post, since the proper context has been now lost.  Might help avoid more harsh responses.

Yew is a beautiful and unique wood, but it grows in a very restricted area, and incredibly slowly.  No wonder it's expensive.  I disagree a that locust and hickory are as good, but concede it's a question of environment substantially.  The default assumption is that one lives in a humidy climate, and in that case osage and yew seem to have working properties more suited to that condition, particularly when compared to hickory for example.  However, in really dry climate wood like elm  or hickory really shines.

I'd love to use more yew, but the price makes it prohibitive for me.

[OldBow]

Nuts.  And I was going to offer up an excellent yew stave cheap because I have so much bow wood.

[bigcountry]

Nuts.  And I was going to offer up an excellent yew stave cheap because I have so much bow wood.

Sounds like one of those good problems.