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Yes, making bows should be properly learnt. I made my first selfbow out of hickory not long ago. It was a workshop with a very experienced bowyer who is a good friend of mine. The bow turned out to be really nice, good tiller, fine shooting and 43# @ 30". really fun to shoot. For about two weeks it went well. No one knew or has even thought of that there was an issue inside the wood that caused the lower limb to break at full draw and fly into my face. Luckily, it missed my head and just slapped the string on my cheek. There was a kind of black mark inside the wood, don't know what it was,it was invisible from the outside. Sad thing, I was pretty proud of it but shit happens and you learn from it. I will build myself a new one. Got hooked. Keep on doing these great videos, love your channel ❤️🏹
out here on Vancouver Island. Good yew is available and you re right if it's not out in your neck of the wood, dont waste any money on it until you you've had some practice on a different wood. Hickory or ash is a good way to start
Yew is a lovely timber to work and makes wonderful bows. It's the timber I overwhelmingly use, but I'd always recommend starting one's first bow with a less expensive wood such as hazel or ash.
Richard Thank you for the wisdom , sorry to say thats not that common any more . Thats only from knowing what life is really all about So very glad I found you on the internet And thank you Phillip for your wonderful demonstration videos and humor and your experiences with your father teaching Thank again Herb In USA
You are very welcome, thanks, Herb, really nice to hear pleasant words on CZcams, glad you are enjoying the videos, maybe you will like my bow making website www.howtomakealongbow.co.uk All the best, keep safe.
I have to say, for a bowyer, your video editing skills are surprisingly good! That bear at the end probably took quite a while to find a good video, key it out and edit it in. One question I have, why did you say that yew will eventually run out? I'd think that as it's a tree, you can just... plant more? It's a renewable resource, why will it run out? Also, if yew is so expensive, why do people not just plant a lot of yew trees all over the country? Sounds like a lucrative business if its so expensive.
Thanks for the kind words. Yew is a renewable source, but takes a VERY long time to grow, it also needs to be grown in very specific areas/conditions to be used for bowmaking, its a protected tree in some countries. I am specifically talking about Yew for making bows, not the tree or wood in general, quality of all wood is in decline because of over use. Its only expensive because there is so little of it, not a lucrative business if everyone plants it for the handful of Bowyers who want it.
Red elm, hickory, ash ,osage orange, elder ,oak ,hazel, russian olive ,Pacific yew, and many other exotic varieties are good for bows Oh and bamboo, maple ,honey locust,
Lots of good woods are available in the UK, one of the big problems with yew is that it's more lucrative to be sold within the pharmaceutical market, for a beginner better to buy bow kits as available on many websites such as Richard heads and or making a lamination, once you're getting proficient then move on to the likes of hickory for self bows.
Unbearably good common sense from Phillip and Richard. No doubt yew is the iconic ELB and why folk crave its presence. I suggest osage orange if you have some experience- great bow wood: makes beautiful bows. Keep up the good work you daft pair of bear baiters. Flaxen Saxon.
Hi .yes ,yew is very pricey.ash should be as good. Not lasting long but a good timber for lightweight bows Or fruit woods.cherry,pear or apple maybe.what do you think?,,
He is in his 40s? Im 27 and I thought you were just a few years older than me. That is some good business advice. That court case sounds interesting tell us about that if you can. Honestly as a bowyer of about 7 years I still haven't ever worked yew yet. I see it as a sacred, rare, master ultimatum of the woods. Most of the woods I've worked are what I can find here in Idaho, Oregon and nevada. Chokecherry, juniper, vine maple, Siberian elm, Ash, black oak, mountain mahogany, ocean spray, red wood, among others. I always thought juniper and mountain mahogany would be close to yew as they are all evergreens, centuries old, soft, toxic, and so very colorful! What kind of wood would you compare yew too?
I got attacked by a Bear while out shooting... My very first longbow was a 25# Little Bear and it fractured in two right at the grip. Fortunately one limb went over my should and the other just grazed my side at it flew under my arm. I've got a fine looking hickory growing right outside my office window and a canvas backed red oak bland laying in wait on the tie beam above my head. Yew is a long way off if at all.
I would love to make my own bows and have been on a course and I'm crap and woodworking etc...I just want to make it for myself that's all. But how do I get good white wood staves? I've reached out to various suppliers who are not Bowyers or even local woods where I've harvested some sycamore and hazel which ended up a firewood - mostly because I haven't a clue what sort of wood I'm looking for... Could you make a video on choosing and sourcing staves for people like me? I wanted to start with self bows before I even go to making laminated staves but maybe I've got it the wrong way around lol...any help here?!
Jayendra Shankar Hey if you contact a tree surgery firm around you, you could ask if they have any Ash trees they’re taking down. Ash is a decent wood to make longbows from( obviously not as good as Yew) but a good starting wood. It’s easy to come by as it self seeds everywhere.A lot of the time it’s easier for people to take wood away from the site, than for the tree surgery company to cut and take it all away. I’m a tree surgeon myself and we always have people wanting to take wood, and unless the client wants it we’re happy for anyone to take it. You can get some great long straight trunks of ash that will split into staves reasonably easily and once you’ve split them, they dry relatively fast. So my tip is to contact a tree surgery company and ask :)
Why would you tell us it's going to be a lovely video to watch with a cup of coffee, and then proceed to do your best to get me to spit it all over my computer laughing?! Yew guys are unbearable! ;)
Want to help us keep our bow making website going and these videos? Please consider helping us pay the costs by using the donate button here...
paypal.me/richardheadlongbows?locale.x=en_GB
I think this video is very yewseful for beginners
I wood agree
@@longbows you pair are bearly sane!
Yes, making bows should be properly learnt. I made my first selfbow out of hickory not long ago. It was a workshop with a very experienced bowyer who is a good friend of mine. The bow turned out to be really nice, good tiller, fine shooting and 43# @ 30". really fun to shoot. For about two weeks it went well. No one knew or has even thought of that there was an issue inside the wood that caused the lower limb to break at full draw and fly into my face. Luckily, it missed my head and just slapped the string on my cheek. There was a kind of black mark inside the wood, don't know what it was,it was invisible from the outside. Sad thing, I was pretty proud of it but shit happens and you learn from it.
I will build myself a new one. Got hooked.
Keep on doing these great videos, love your channel ❤️🏹
out here on Vancouver Island. Good yew is available and you re right if it's not out in your neck of the wood, dont waste any money on it until you you've had some practice on a different wood. Hickory or ash is a good way to start
thank yew. you make knocking my eye out sound like fun.
i just used ash, and it seemed to work out alright.
Currently making my first one out of ash too.
I´m gonna plant some yew trees in spring. Maybe my grand-grand children will be able to use it haha
You have to start somewhere
If I can't use yew, I just don't think i could bear it.
such a serious video needs serious likes!
Yew is a lovely timber to work and makes wonderful bows. It's the timber I overwhelmingly use, but I'd always recommend starting one's first bow with a less expensive wood such as hazel or ash.
out here on Vancouver Island, by the way, was the answer to the question about where to find yew wood. cheers
Richard
Thank you for the wisdom , sorry to say thats not that common any more .
Thats only from knowing what life is really all about
So very glad I found you on the internet
And thank you Phillip for your wonderful demonstration videos and humor and your experiences with your father teaching
Thank again
Herb In USA
You are very welcome, thanks, Herb, really nice to hear pleasant words on CZcams, glad you are enjoying the videos, maybe you will like my bow making website www.howtomakealongbow.co.uk
All the best, keep safe.
I have to say, for a bowyer, your video editing skills are surprisingly good! That bear at the end probably took quite a while to find a good video, key it out and edit it in. One question I have, why did you say that yew will eventually run out? I'd think that as it's a tree, you can just... plant more? It's a renewable resource, why will it run out? Also, if yew is so expensive, why do people not just plant a lot of yew trees all over the country? Sounds like a lucrative business if its so expensive.
Thanks for the kind words. Yew is a renewable source, but takes a VERY long time to grow, it also needs to be grown in very specific areas/conditions to be used for bowmaking, its a protected tree in some countries. I am specifically talking about Yew for making bows, not the tree or wood in general, quality of all wood is in decline because of over use. Its only expensive because there is so little of it, not a lucrative business if everyone plants it for the handful of Bowyers who want it.
Ì have found hazel to be awesome begginers wood for bows. It works great and it grows absolutly everywhere.
Red elm, hickory, ash ,osage orange, elder ,oak ,hazel, russian olive ,Pacific yew, and many other exotic varieties are good for bows
Oh and bamboo, maple ,honey locust,
Lots of good woods are available in the UK, one of the big problems with yew is that it's more lucrative to be sold within the pharmaceutical market, for a beginner better to buy bow kits as available on many websites such as Richard heads and or making a lamination, once you're getting proficient then move on to the likes of hickory for self bows.
Saludo de Argentina Longbow
Thanks
Unbearably good common sense from Phillip and Richard. No doubt yew is the iconic ELB and why folk crave its presence. I suggest osage orange if you have some experience- great bow wood: makes beautiful bows. Keep up the good work you daft pair of bear baiters. Flaxen Saxon.
The bear-bit had me chuckling
Thought you would like that.
Hi .yes ,yew is very pricey.ash should be as good. Not lasting long but a good timber for lightweight bows
Or fruit woods.cherry,pear or apple maybe.what do you think?,,
If state-side, you're better off looking for bois d'arc to make your staves.
I'm now eyeing up the yew at the bottom of our garden...
But I'm also now worried about the bears, so I think I'll leave it well alone.
Use Hickory thats what my Great Granpa used. Or Osage is the Best I think
Osage is good but not for a English longbow style of bow. At least that's what I've read about it. Osage makes really good flatbows though.
Thank you for these laughing moments. It was unBEARably fun!
He is in his 40s? Im 27 and I thought you were just a few years older than me. That is some good business advice. That court case sounds interesting tell us about that if you can. Honestly as a bowyer of about 7 years I still haven't ever worked yew yet. I see it as a sacred, rare, master ultimatum of the woods. Most of the woods I've worked are what I can find here in Idaho, Oregon and nevada. Chokecherry, juniper, vine maple, Siberian elm, Ash, black oak, mountain mahogany, ocean spray, red wood, among others. I always thought juniper and mountain mahogany would be close to yew as they are all evergreens, centuries old, soft, toxic, and so very colorful! What kind of wood would you compare yew too?
Gosh, thanks, I wish I was still in my 20s! Yew is in a class of its own as far as English Longbows go.
I got attacked by a Bear while out shooting...
My very first longbow was a 25# Little Bear and it fractured in two right at the grip. Fortunately one limb went over my should and the other just grazed my side at it flew under my arm.
I've got a fine looking hickory growing right outside my office window and a canvas backed red oak bland laying in wait on the tie beam above my head. Yew is a long way off if at all.
I would love to make my own bows and have been on a course and I'm crap and woodworking etc...I just want to make it for myself that's all. But how do I get good white wood staves? I've reached out to various suppliers who are not Bowyers or even local woods where I've harvested some sycamore and hazel which ended up a firewood - mostly because I haven't a clue what sort of wood I'm looking for... Could you make a video on choosing and sourcing staves for people like me? I wanted to start with self bows before I even go to making laminated staves but maybe I've got it the wrong way around lol...any help here?!
OK, will do.
@@longbows looking forward to it :) thanks
Jayendra Shankar Hey if you contact a tree surgery firm around you, you could ask if they have any Ash trees they’re taking down. Ash is a decent wood to make longbows from( obviously not as good as Yew) but a good starting wood. It’s easy to come by as it self seeds everywhere.A lot of the time it’s easier for people to take wood away from the site, than for the tree surgery company to cut and take it all away. I’m a tree surgeon myself and we always have people wanting to take wood, and unless the client wants it we’re happy for anyone to take it. You can get some great long straight trunks of ash that will split into staves reasonably easily and once you’ve split them, they dry relatively fast. So my tip is to contact a tree surgery company and ask :)
Surely you get yew on line???
Maybe make a yewtube video on it?? ;)
You can but most of it is not good quality and will change a new bowyers mind quickly and may get them hurt
Hey you!! where could I get some Yew?
Hi, are you in the UK?
Why would you tell us it's going to be a lovely video to watch with a cup of coffee, and then proceed to do your best to get me to spit it all over my computer laughing?! Yew guys are unbearable! ;)
Brilliant, mission accomplished!