live oak

[DennisM]

Has anyone tried to make a bow from live oak.  I live in Tampa Fl. and live oak is plentiful. I have been reading and they used it to build ships because of its strength

DennisM

[Pat B]

I lived in Coastal SC when I first got interested in building wood bows. Live oak is one wood I wanted to try but never did. It sure is strong wood. Give it a try and let me know what I've been missing. 

[fishfinder401]

wait, live oak is a type of oak, i thought you just meant a non seasoned oak.......

[Pat B]

Noel, Live oak(Quercus virginiana) grows in the Southeast US, along the Gulf coast and a different variety of live oak in California.  In movies when you see a southern back drop with the Spanish Moss hanging from the trees, the trees are usually live oak.

[fishfinder401]

well, i keep learning new things here  i might actually be learning more here than at school( especially with that large yew tree outside my math room )
thanks
noel

[kiwijim]

Old time bowyer James Duff stated in his 1928 book Bows and Arrows that only 4 North American woods would make a decent english long bow. They were Yew, Osage, Live Oak and Ironwood. In that order. I think ironwood may refer to hop hornbeam. If Duff thought it a decent wood, then it most likely was and still is.

James

[Matt S.]

Isn't that the stuff they made the U.S.S. Constitution, "Old Ironsides", out of? I think it has a SG of .88
Would love to see a bow made from it!

[Eric Garza]

And for what it's worth, I'd love to get my hands on a short, straight stave. If you end up cutting a tree and have a short stave that you aren't using, send me a PM and we can try to work something out.

[crooketarrow]

  I've never built any but the old bowyer that was my friend talked of a INDAIN friend of his from FLORIDA that use to use live oak. But that all I know about it.

[ken75]

im surounded by live oak but have never used it , theres something grand about those old trees and the atmosphere the create just couldnt cut them.

Noel this is what they look like

[Pat B]

Absolutely my favorite tree in the world. There is something majestic about an old live oak tree...plus they produce acorns almose every year(deer and duck food) and make easy to find, comfortable stands for hunting, without a portable stand!

[Parnell]

I've passed them up for quite some time because of the same reasons.  Wouldn't feel right cutting em.  It's real tough to find a straight piece but I'm sure there around.  Dennis, I'm down in Naples and we've got a lot more swamp/scrub oak down here.  I have a hard time getting my hands on that stuff because they're either too young or too twisty.
Not sure if you're just getting started with this but if you haven't given Australian Pine a try yet don't pass it up!  It's invasive, easy to find, seasons fast, grows straight, and can have a specific gravity over 1.0. 

[kiwijim]

Yeah, Aussie Pine is a Casurina. Pacific islanders used casurina as a prefered bow wood. Sounds like you boys are surrounded by bow wood!

[DennisM]

Thanks for the replies guys
Yea, I would not cut one of these trees for a stave, but a lot of them are blown down in high winds and many of the large limbs are trimmed by the city and others. The limbs are where a stave would come from.
I have seen only i hickory this far south, but there are some pecans around. No osage. I lived in Springfield Mo. for three years  There was osage every where.
Thanks for the tip on the Australian Pine, I will keep my eyes open.

[beetlebailey1977]

We just cut a very large limb out of one about three weeks ago.  Didn't think about saving any of it.  I could go and salvage some of it because I drug it off with the tractor in big sections.  I will check it out and see.