Bow-making is popular with anyone with a passion for working with their hands and an eye for detail.
Whether you’re an experienced bow maker looking to upgrade your supplies or a complete novice ready to take on a new challenge, finding suitable wood is a crucial part of the process.
When it comes to bow making, specific types of wood are more suitable than others. In this blog post, we will explore where to buy wood for bow making and the best types of wood to make it.
If you’re ready to find the perfect wood for your projects, let’s dive in!
Contents
Where to Buy Wood for Bow Making?
When it comes to bow making, the quality of the wood is an important factor in achieving the best results. So, it is essential to purchase timber from a reliable source.
Local Hardwood Suppliers
One of the best places to buy wood for bow making is from local hardwood suppliers. These suppliers typically carry a wide range of wood varieties for bow making, such as maple, hickory, walnut, and oak.
Cabinet Shops
Another one is cabinet shops which have a selection of wood species to choose from, allowing you to select the exact type of wood for the bow you’re crafting.
Tree Landowners
Another option is to ask someone who owns land with lots of hardwood trees. In addition to hardwood trees, there are many other places you can purchase wood for bow making.
Local tree trimming or removal companies
You can also look at local tree trimming or removal companies. These businesses often have large amounts of freshly cut and salvaged wood, which they make available for purchase.
Specialty bow-making stores
Specialty bow-making stores are the best option, as they will have a wide selection of wood types and sizes.
Most stores will also have knowledgeable staff to help you pick suitable wood. In addition, they often have woodworking tools and supplies that can be helpful.
What to Consider Before Buying Wood for Bow Making?
There are a few things to consider when purchasing wood for bow making. Here are things that you should consider:
Type of wood
Many types of wood are suitable for bow making, but some are better than others. The best woods for bow making are solid and elastic hardwoods.
The grain of the wood
The grain is important because it affects the strength and elasticity of the wood.
Woods with a straight grain are generally more robust and elastic than wavy or curly grain.
The thickness of the wood
The thicker the wood, the stronger and more durable it will be. However, dense woods can be challenging to work with and may require special tools.
If you’re starting, sticking with thinner woods is probably best until you get more experience.
The cost of wood
It is because it will determine the wood’s quality and the amount of wood you need for a specific bow-making project.
What Is the Best Wood for Bow Making?
Choosing the right type of wood for bow-making is essential. Different types of wood have other properties, and selecting the right one is critical to creating a high-quality, durable bow. Here are some of the best wood for bow making:
Pacific yew
- It is a hardwood that is easy to work with and can also be bent to create a powerful recurve.
- It is a dense wood that is highly durable and resilient, which helps to make a bow that will stand the test of time.
Osage orange
It is solid yet flexible, with a unique combination of features that make it ideal for use in the construction of bows. Its other features consist of the following:
- Toughness and flexibility
- Strength and resilience
- Its long-lasting nature
Maple
- Maple is a solid and durable wood that is both lightweight and flexible, making it ideal for bow-making.
- Also, maple wood is known for its aesthetic appeal and ability to respond well to treatment.
Hickory
Hickory is one of the best woods for bow-making due to its strength and durability. Its features:
- Resilience to bending and flexing
- A unique elasticity that gives it a great degree of shock resistance
- Its reasonable cost and easy availability
- Ease to work with
Ash
Ash is widely one of the best woods for the job due to its strength, stability, and overall performance. Its characteristics:
- Relatively lightweight
- Quite flexible and shock-resistant
- Easy to work with
Hazelnut
Hazelnut is an excellent choice of wood for bow making due to its lightweight and flexibility. Its features are as follows:
- Density, strength, and resilience
- The tight and straight grain
- Its shock-absorbent qualities
- Affordability and ease of working with
Bamboo
Its characteristics:
- Strong and flexible
- Widely available and relatively inexpensive compared to types of wood
Red oak
It is known for its strength, durability, and shock absorption capabilities. Red oak is a hardwood, making it resilient to wear and tear.
This wood possesses stiffness and lightweight, and shock absorption properties.
Birchwood
Birchwood is widely considered one of the most suitable woods for bow-making due to its strength, durability, and flexibility. Other features:
- Lightweight
- Resistance to splitting and cracking
- Ease to find a cost-effective option
- Ease to shape
Plum wood
The wood has a high strength-to-weight ratio, making it perfect for creating both lightweight and durable bows.
Other characteristics:
- Ease to work with and shape
- Ability to absorb energy and store
- Aesthetical please
- Affordability than other woods
Dogwood
Dogwood is also one of the best woods for bow-making due to its strength and flexibility.
Other features:
- A medium-hardwood
- Lightweight and easy to work with
- A relatively low density
- Resistance to decay and wear
- Natural colors and texture
Ipe wood
This tropical hardwood is highly durable and robust, making it ideal for bow-making.
Other features:
- Its exceptional strength and hardness
- Resistance to mold, rot, and insects
- Lightweight
- A rich, reddish-brown color
Cherrywood
It is a hardwood, making it solid and durable, and it is also flexible, allowing it to bend and return to its original shape when under tension.
Other characteristics:
- A gorgeous, deep red hue that is aesthetically pleasing
- Its density and strength
- Abundance and easy to find
Eastern red cedar
People are interested in this wood for its strength, flexibility, and resistance to splitting and cracking.
Other features:
- Durability
- Its lightness
- Ease to handle and draw.
- Its resilience to rot and decay
- A beautiful grain adds to its aesthetic appeal
Black locust
It is a hardwood that is both dense and flexible, making it the perfect material for creating a durable and mighty bow.
Other features:
- Resistance to rot and decay
- Its strength and flexibility
Elasticity and great shock-absorbing qualities
Read More: Can I Sharpen Rage Hypodermic Blades? An Ultimate Answer
Conclusion
Where to buy wood for bow making? There are many places to find wood for bow making. You can find your choice at the local hardwood suppliers, cabinet shops, tree landowners, etc.
With some research, it is possible to find the best type of wood to make a bow that looks great and performs well. Thank you for reading!