What kinds of bows were traditionally made with black locust?

[huisme]

I'm going to try to make a few period/region specific bows and want to know what the history of black locust bows looks like here in Washington.

While we're at it I also want to attempt my first penobscot. My experience tells me BL will work fine, but maybe you know something I don't.

[PatM]

There is no history of BL bows there because that is not in the native range.

[randman]

Depends on where you're at in Washington. If you're in eastern Wa. near Yakima (or thereabouts) you'd use what the Yakamas preferred, Garry Oak which covers the hillsides all along the eastern slopes of the Cascades foothills. If you're farther north central, use Ocean Spray (ironwood to the Salish and Spokanes) or Mock Orange. Along the coast, yew, vine maple and ocean spray were used. Black Locust was brought with the white settlers and I'm pretty sure was not a native wood to Washington but we have tons of it everywhere now.

[Bryce]

Look into african archery. They used bl for bows.

[Pat B]

The Eastern Woodland style bows the Cherokee used were made of locust. They made hunting bows of up to 60# or so and war bows of 100#. These bows bent through he handle and were rectangular cross section.

[PatM]

Bryce, Those Africans must have really wanted that wood badly if they came all the way over here to get it. 

[huisme]

There is no history of BL bows there because that is not in the native range.

Well now I feel silly. Makes sense why I haven't heard about traditional use of BL around here.

Alright, I'll go load up some more VM and OS. I'll probably have the penobscot finished first. Of course, I still haven't finished taking pics of bows from months ago, so...

Yeah, I'll get back to 'yall. Thanks guys 

[PatM]

No reason you cannot still use it to make a bow style from where it was native.

[Lone500]

i would love a locust bow especially in the eastern woodland style of bow its been one of my dreams. 

[Bryce]

Bryce, Those Africans must have really wanted that wood badly if they came all the way over here to get it. 

Must have lol

[blackhawk]

Yew smoking taxus needles again Bryce 

+1 Patty O Brennan .... 64-68" simple bend in the handle bow with one side nock cut at each tip or diamond tip shaped nocks. ~50 pounds for hunting,and over 70 for war

[Bryce]

I was reading the chapter on african archery and I swear he said they used black locust.

[PatM]

That was wild speculation and bad research. Read the context of his sentence. "Similar to Black Locust in which case the botanical name might be Robinia Pseudoacacia". It either is or it isn't.
 True Acacia is, which fed that speculative writing.
 Black Locust is certainly planted in parts of Africa now but that doesn't mean it's realistic to consider it an authentic African bow wood used historically.

[Bryce]

Well it was a while ago when I read it. Either way, good to know.

[willie]

From       http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/silvics_manual/table_of_contents.htm

Native Range

Black locust has a disjunct original range, the extent of which is not accurately known. The eastern section is centered in the Appalachian Mountains and ranges from central Pennsylvania and southern Ohio, south to northeastern Alabama, northern Georgia, and northwestern South Carolina. The western section includes the Ozark Plateau of southern Missouri, northern Arkansas, and northeastern Oklahoma, and the Ouachita Mountains of central Arkansas and southeastern Oklahoma. Outlying populations appear in southern Indiana and Illinois, Kentucky, Alabama, and Georgia (26). Black locust has been planted widely and has become naturalized throughout the United States, southern Canada, and parts of Europe and Asia.

-The native range of black locust.