If you enjoy hunting or are about to go on a hunting trip for the first time, it’s vital to have a bow. A bow is the perfect hunting weapon that will allow you to hunt your target. So, if you want your hunting trip to be a success, you must make an excellent-quality bow.
Bows come in different types and materials, from metal to wood to plastic. A wooden bow will serve you relatively well as the sturdiest of all materials. However, it’s crucial to know which type of wood is the best before building a bow.
The 9 Best Woods for Making a Bow
This article will entail the different wood types (the best ones) you can use to make the perfect bow.
Eastern Red Cedar
Eastern red cedar is one of the best wood types you can use while building a bow. You might be surprised to know that it actually comes from the juniper family (another wood type) regardless of its name.
This wood type is ideal if you want a classic longbow with a D-shape cross. This wood type is so recommended because of its lightness and brittleness. Eastern red cedar will benefit you plenty as its tension is weak, but the compression is long, making it an ideal piece of wood to build a bow from.
Plum
No, we’re not talking about the fruit here. Plum wood is another excellent wood type to use while making a bow. You might not know this, but many people use plum to construct their bows as this wood type has a tight compression and substantial tension.
Also, bows made from plum wood look beautiful, contributing to the popularity of this wood type. However, one tiny inconvenience with plum is that they might take too long to dry, and it’ll be a little tricky to tell whether it has dried. So, you’ll have to pick it up and check, which might break it if it hasn’t dried yet.
Dogwood
Dogwood may not be found as commonly in North America, but that shouldn’t stop you from constructing your perfect bow. The use of dogwood is prevalent in Europe, so you can always get it ordered from any country. Dogwood is a pretty sturdy piece of wood, making it the reason behind its popularity.
This wood type has extreme density and strength, ensuring your bow stays intact and doesn’t break so easily. You’ll have to be careful while using it, as slight harshness can lead to your dogwood bow snapping into pieces.
Ipe
Pronounced as “EEPAY,” this wood type is perfect to use while making a bow as its strength makes it a practical piece of wood. If you want a faster bow, this wood type will be an ideal fit. Ipe can allow you to make thinner and lighter limbs.
If you want a stronger bow, you can combine Ipe with bamboo for an even more significant effect. The best part about using Ipe is that it’s highly decay-resistant, not rotting away quickly. However, one slight drawback of this wood is that it might cause allergies. So, if you don’t feel great while holding Ipe, please let go of it right away.
Juniper
You should know that juniper is one of the best wood types to make a bow from. You won’t have any complaints when you use juniper to construct your bow, as this wood type significantly contributes to the bow’s longevity and sturdiness.
It would help if you knew the fundamental dynamics of juniper: the denser the wood is, the shorter your bow will be, and vice versa. It might be challenging to make a longbow from juniper. However, you can take two short lathes and combine them to make a longer bow. Overall, juniper will help you in constructing an excellent-quality bow.
Locust
If you’re looking for a wood type that’s healthier in compression than tension, locust is what you’re looking for. Using locust while building a bow will benefit you plenty as you’ll have a super sturdy bow for your hunting trips.
It would be best to look for a crowned-back rather than a flat-back design. Not that the latter isn’t suitable, but the former is excellent as many people who frequently use bows recommend crowned-back designs. Hence, please ensure your bow made from locusts doesn’t start fretting and aids you well in the forest (or anywhere).
Palm
You’re probably perplexed knowing you can make a decent bow from a palm tree. Believe it or not, it’s true. Palm trees are primarily found in humid areas as the humidity contributes to their growth. So, if you want to collect some palms, you’ll need to visit such a place.
Palm and bamboo have plenty in common. One similarity is that they’re both pretty dense, helping you make a narrow and longbow. Palm also rapidly grows so that you can have as many pieces of palm as possible. However, you should know palm is relatively stiffer than other woods, making your bow heavier than most.
Scotch Broom
Many people don’t pay much attention to scotch broom as they think it doesn’t serve much purpose. It may be a yellow-flowering bush, but it has plenty of benefits, especially bow-crafting. If you talk to professional bow makers, they’ll tell you how easy a scotch broom is to work with.
It offers significant density and toughness, allowing you to craft a sturdy and long-lasting bow. Also, it’s easy to tell if your bow made from scotch broom has dried. The more patiently you treat it, the better the result scotch broom will bring.
Walnut
Walnut is highly appreciated in making wooden furniture items. However, it’s always overlooked when it comes to making bows. We don’t understand why that is even though walnut, especially black walnut, is an excellent wood type for creating a bow.
It offers incredible density, which is needed to craft a long and robust bow. Also, walnut wood is much safer in tension than other wood types, such as cherrywood and maple. So, if you want to work with one of the best wood types, we suggest giving walnut a try!
