Probably one of the most common questions I hear is “Is it okay to make a bow from a wood other than yew or Osage orange?
My quick answer: Not only is it okay, in some cases it is more desirable. Firstly, white woods do not need to be coddled in terms of the sapwood to heartwood ratio. With yew and Osage, bark _and_ outer wood should be removed to produce a good quality bow. For a beginner, this is a daunting task. However, white woods require no special treatment. Once dry, simply remove the bark and the exposed wood instantly becomes the back of the bow. Secondly, yew staves can cost $120.00 U.S. now, while most people have the ability to go and cut down their own maple, ash, white oak, birch or hickory tree for little or no cost. Often, one can pull two or more staves from a white wood tree. I, personally, refuse to cut down a tree unless it can yield 5 bows. Sometimes this takes a bit of looking, like maybe two hours as opposed to the week or so it could take looking for the “perfect” yew tree – if such a thing exists at all. In speaking of the virtues of white wood bows, it’s impossible to fully appr
