Honeysuckle Longbow

[Badger]

  Does anyone here know of any war bows or heavy longbows built from honeysuckle?

[DuBois]

I don't know but I do have an interesting stave in the rafters. Sure seems like some dense wood.

[Badger]

 I have made shorties before but I finally got my hands on a piece large enough for a warbow if it seasons properly, it is amazing wood. 

[dylanholderman]

I've not made a warbow period but its on my list and i have a honeysuckle stave i'm going to try and make into one.

as far as your stave if you cut it in the winter(depending on how cold it gets were you are) you should be good just seal the ends, pretty standard procedure. and if you can leave the bark on, it peals off pretty easily even after its dry.
if you cut it in the spring/summer you need to pick your belly side and rough it out otherwise it will check exactly where you don't want it too  

[osage outlaw]

Are you talking about the honeysuckle bush with the good smelling flowers?  That stuff is good bow wood? 

[dylanholderman]

invasive exotic we brought over from somewhere in Asia, japan maybe? i'm not sure.
little red berrys and leaves that stay green entill the frost and snow kills em, yep the crap is everywhere.  yes it will make a good bow

[Pat B]

Maybe Amur Honeysuckle. 
Clint, I think you are talking about fragrant (winter) honeysuckle. 

[Badger]

  The one I am going to cut is called coral honeysuckle. All the staves I have worked to date were gifted to me so I don't know for sure if coral is any good or not.

[osage outlaw]

We have some kind of invasive honeysuckle all over here.  It has the small red berries.  We are planning on cutting a lot of it out of our woods.  I'll watch for a piece big enough for a stave.  The property that I work at has been taken over by the stuff.

[dylanholderman]

You don't need very much I've made a 45# bow from a stick that was only 1 1/4" at the handle

[Knoll]

Will keep eye peeled for appropriate size piece. Thanks for doing this post!

[loon]

How would amur honeysuckle compare to cape honeysuckle for bow making? Though they aren't closely related.. Seems like amur is the invasive stuff. There doesn't seem to be any here in SoCal, just cape.