welsh yew

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hello all,i managed to get hold of a piece of yew fresh cut from our local graveyard :jaw-dropp with permission.it has a nice straight 7ft section and is about 8-9 inch round.was wondering if this is good wood for bow,i know yew is the best but i here spanish or italy is the best wood is our yew still a good wood ?
 

jb.68

Member
Hi there, I love your username... :)

Native Yew can make a fantastic bow. I have a friend who makes some lovely Yew heavy bows and I have a fantastic Self Yew recurved flat bow made by Chris Boyton. (pictured below) This Yew came from the outskirts of London ;) So Welsh, English or Scots, all has the potential to make a good bow. As for Italian Yew, the evidence suggests that it was rarely used in medieval times, and most of their current Yew stands are ancient like ours. As for spanish yew, good luck in finding some :raspberry Much of it was burned to prevent it being used to arm the English armies.



That stave you have sounds great, If it is fairly strait and clean, you may get 4 bows out of it. Good luck.

jb
 

Alexam

New member
User cp

hello all,i managed to get hold of a piece of yew fresh cut from our local graveyard :jaw-dropp with permission.it has a nice straight 7ft section and is about 8-9 inch round.was wondering if this is good wood for bow,i know yew is the best but i here spanish or italy is the best wood is our yew still a good wood ?
Hi 'Hoppy',

don't know your name as you have not filled in your user CP, which would help you with local contacts.

Cannot help with the question but I was also very impressed with the username.

Good luck with your task and all the best for 2009 :beer::cake3::beer::beer:

Malcolm
 
D

Deleted member 7654

Guest
Blimey...treasure your Yew...If there is a bow in it, and you are patient and skilled enough to tease it out it will be something to treasure.
Mine is made from English Yew cut in Hampshire and worked over a period of about 2 years.
There is a lot of spoken about the 'best' Yew, but any Yew stave is vastly better than none.
Dunno how much bow making you've done, forgive the advice if you don't need it.
Split the log in two carefully chosing the straightest, most knot free face for the 'best stave' (Use Axe and wedges rather than saw as it will show you how the grain runs,) If the log splits straight you may get 2 staves practice with the worst stave first. Paint the ends with PVA or old paint to help stop splitting and work the staves slowly down to size as the less wood there is the quicker it will dry and the less likely to split. Leave the bark and ALL sapwood intact. Look at it often, remove wood a little and seldom rather than going mad.
Sorry if I sound like I'm preaching...I'm just jealous really!
Enjoy
Del
 

jb.68

Member
I didn't know this, what is the evidence?

Hi Alan, yep that was complete cobblers. What I wrote and what I meant to write were two completely different things. :confused:

So let me start again, there is evidence of Italian Yew being used of course, but not exclusively, and not necessarily in greater amounts than any other Yew.

?Already by the mid-fifteenth century, most staves for English longbows were imported, mainly from southern Germany and Austria?

?All across Europe, the trade routes of the Yew staves employed a mixture of carts for land transport, barges for inland navigation and ships leaving the harbours of the Baltic and North Sea to head for London or other English ports?

In short, Yew was imported from all over Europe, Germany, Poland, Austria, Spain, Italy, western Russia, Ireland and others.

?Some early English sources mention tight grained Spanish Yew wood as far superior to the knotty British bow timber?

?Richard III?s 1483 decree (to import ten Yew staves with each casket of wine) is an important hint that Spain Italy and southern France must have been exporting significant amounts of Yew, at least for a few years?


Taken from Fred Hageneder?s book, Yew a history.

Well worth a read.

Sorry to Danceswithbunnys for hijacking the thread. I?ll clear off quietly now?..

Cheers
jb
 

alanesq

New member
Hi Alan, yep that was complete cobblers. What I wrote and what I meant to write were two completely different things. :confused:
lol :)

You were not trying to combine drinking with posting on a forum were you?
I have tried this a few times, it never works :)
 

Yew Selfbow

Active member
The truth is .. it doesn't matter where the Yew comes from, if it's a nice straight piece with no knots or pin holes, it will make a nice bow. If your stave is still in the round, split it, put it some where cool and dry and forget about it for about a year.
All this stuff about high altitude Italian yew being the best is b*"? $^it.
 

alanesq

New member
All this stuff about high altitude Italian yew being the best is b*"? $^it.
I am no expert in yew bows, but I do know that when I wanted a 150lb self yew bow the only person I could find to supply me with one was the person who uses High Altitude Italian Yew
 

jb.68

Member
lol :)

You were not trying to combine drinking with posting on a forum were you?
I have tried this a few times, it never works :)
:yes: Er guilty m'lud ;)


The truth is .. it doesn't matter where the Yew comes from, if it's a nice straight piece with no knots or pin holes, it will make a nice bow. If your stave is still in the round, split it, put it some where cool and dry and forget about it for about a year.
All this stuff about high altitude Italian yew being the best is b*"? $^it.
Absolutely.
 
thanx for the help ppl got me going in the right direction.will be splitting the wood 2moz so hopefully all will go well.will also be out getting more yew so many yew trees round my area odds are a few more nice vicars or landowners will say yes.happy shooting
 
D

Deleted member 7654

Guest
I don't want to teach you how to suck eggs, but if you havn't split a log for a while...
Don't start by randomly whacking it with the axe...Place the axe carefully where you want to start the split and then whack the back of the axe with a club hammer.
I have a special 2lb club hammer which I've put a longer handle on so it's a 'hand and a half' hammer...easier than a sledge hammer but hits harder than an ordinarry club hammer....mind I jsut like messing about modifying tools.
Whoops, rambling now, must go and hide in my secret cat nest.
Del
 

stevesjem

New member
The truth is .. it doesn't matter where the Yew comes from, if it's a nice straight piece with no knots or pin holes, it will make a nice bow. If your stave is still in the round, split it, put it some where cool and dry and forget about it for about a year.
All this stuff about high altitude Italian yew being the best is b*"? $^it.
Hey Phil

Sour grapes mate, you show me any other bit of yew that with or without knots will take the hammering of Italian yew.

Taxus Brefiola...very brittle and will not stand damaged sap wood without breaking, break your string and bang!

Taxus Boccata (English) Good but yet again if the string breaks then it is likey that the bow will too, need a clean peice to be really safe.

Taxus Boccata (Italian), Damage the sap wood, bow will be fine, break the string still won't break, covered in knots, still no problem even to very heavy weights, remove the sap wood completely if you wish and still no problems.

So there you have it, if you want something that will be reliable and will take anything you can throw at it without it breaking then Italian is the way to go. You know as I do.
 

stevesjem

New member
Phil, isn't it strange that when we went to the MR and handled the bows with that other person, you remember, when he was able to have this wood, it was the best thing since sliced bread, you thought so to, then when he is unable to have anymore of this wood, suddenly it was not even fit for kindling, and so you don't think much of it either, any chance you may have some original thoughts of your own or shall we wait untill the other person has another opinion so you can change yours.
You started this Phil with your strange attack on something I have worked very hard to bring back so you must see why I will protect it.
I suggest you refrain from antagernistic posts and I will not have to retaliate
 

jb.68

Member
you show me any other bit of yew that with or without knots will take the hammering of Italian yew.

Taxus Brefiola...very brittle and will not stand damaged sap wood without breaking, break your string and bang!

Taxus Boccata (English) Good but yet again if the string breaks then it is likey that the bow will too, need a clean peice to be really safe.

Taxus Boccata (Italian), Damage the sap wood, bow will be fine, break the string still won't break, covered in knots, still no problem even to very heavy weights, remove the sap wood completely if you wish and still no problems.

So there you have it, if you want something that will be reliable and will take anything you can throw at it without it breaking then Italian is the way to go. You know as I do.
Interesting point of view Steve, but unless you have any evidence to back up that claim, then that is all it is mate.

I don?t blame you, after all it is the patter of a salesman with a product to sell.

Btw
Pacific Yew - Taxus brevifola
English- Taxus Baccata
Hope that helps.

jb
 

stevesjem

New member
John I'm not going to get into a conversation with you about this as you have already made up your mind even though you have zero experience of this wood.
BTW Thanks for letting people know i sell these bows I Appreciate it.
 

fearny

New member
Hi,

I don't want to get into any, or cause any, arguments. But is there any proof of which Yew is best? I myself know nothing and being new i really don't want to be basing opinions on hearsay! :(
 

jb.68

Member
John I'm not going to get into a conversation with you about this as you have already made up your mind even though you have zero experience of this wood.
BTW Thanks for letting people know i sell these bows I Appreciate it.
Steve, firstly yes, I have made up my mind and I believe yew to be a great bow wood that is why I have a self yew bow. I'm just not convinced that the Italian yew makes any better bows than any other yew of the same quality. There must inevitably be good and bad in all batches.

Secondly, what experience do you think I need to have of this wood? I have seen, handled and shot an Italian yew bow. One of yours I believe.

BTW. You're welcome, but I think everyone already knows.

jb
 

stevesjem

New member
Steve, firstly yes, I have made up my mind and I believe yew to be a great bow wood that is why I have a self yew bow. I'm just not convinced that the Italian yew makes any better bows than any other yew of the same quality. There must inevitably be good and bad in all batches.

Secondly, what experience do you think I need to have of this wood? I have seen, handled and shot an Italian yew bow. One of yours I believe.

BTW. You're welcome, but I think everyone already knows.

jb

Just sent you a PM John, I will wait for your answer to my PM and then post my message on the forum so everyone can see what I propose.
 
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