Favorite width?

[cool_98_555]

Hello everyone,

I'm just curious as to what everyone's favorite width is for their osage selfbows, preferably a stiff-handle osage selfbow.  Personally, I like the narrower 1 1/4" wide width for most of my bows.  Wider than that is too wide for me, but just my opinion.  Just curious what you all like on your bows.

[JW_Halverson]

Always depends on the length of the bow, the style (stiff handle vs bendy handle, etc), and what the wood whispers to you.

Can you narrow (bwaaahahaha) down the options for us?

[cool_98_555]

Yea I realize you have to let the wood tell you what to do.  However, I for one have a specific "favorite" width I like my bows to be if everything is good for it.  You want narrower options? haha sure.  Let's say osage....65"-68" long, stiff handle design.  Draw weight 50#+.  Specific enough? haha

[JW_Halverson]

Yea I realize you have to let the wood tell you what to do.  However, I for one have a specific "favorite" width I like my bows to be if everything is good for it.  You want narrower options? haha sure.  Let's say osage....65"-68" long, stiff handle design.  Draw weight 50#+.  Specific enough? haha

Inch and a quarter. Maybe an eight less if that is all I have to work with or a stupid knot wanders into the road I am taking.

[cool_98_555]

What if you have a pristine stave with no knots or anything, so you can pretty much do whatever you want and the wood will support it?

[JW_Halverson]

Any narrower and you start to court "set". 

And that is doubling your draw length, plus 8" for handle and stiff fades.  i.e. 26" draw would be 26+26+8= 60" nock to nock.

Add a little length if the stave is twisty, knotty, or other "character"

[mikekeswick]

Thicker's quicker
About 1 1/4 seem to be where most of my osage bows end up but width is all down to what set is showing at 20 inch or so. From there I decide whether to round the belly, reduce width etc.

[Stick Bender]

My favorite width is what ever width of the bow that I'm working &  it's purpose plays a roll how wide a bow would be in my mind  this is my current one intended to be a Target/hunting bow  50 @ 29 In. Sorry for the crappy drawing but easer then explaining all the tappers  &  the bow is 68 in. Long the drawings off by a in.  Most of the time I have to chose width by what Mother Nature gives me in a stave.

[Badger]

   Mine tend to average about 1 3/8 wide but I honestly seldom measure them for width. I tend to use as little working limb as I can get away with, if I used the entire limb I doubt I would go over 1 1/4".

[Pat B]

I've built osage bows from 1" to 1 1/2", all with good results. I guess 1 1/4" to 1 3/8" are the average...but a lot depends on the length and the stave itself.