I CUT A SMALL ( 2 1/2")HORNBEAN TREE FOR A BOW. WHAT DO I DO WITH THE BACK? Do I cut it down to a  smooth back, follow a grain ( impossible I think ), back it or leave the bark on and shape the belly?

What Hornbeam is it? Hopefully Hop.

Scaley bark or smooth muscular looking bark?

Smooth muscular looking bark, lots of twists and dips in it.

Sounds like blue beech to me.

Or Mongolian Tulip maybe?

OK, now you have me on google looking up trees. One site calls the Blue Beech - american hornbeam. And the picture on the site looks like the wood I have. The cut end of the tree is white and I see hop hornbeam is to be redish brown. Maybe what I have is not bowwood after all?

American HB and blue beech are the same. Neither are very comparable to Hop hornbeam. I have seen bows from beech before. Give it a try. Peel the bark off and go to town after it dries for 3-4 months.

I guess I will, No use letting the wood go to waste. Thanks for the information.

HHB looks allot like scaled-down shagbark after its 4-5" round. Similar leaves to elm and beech.

Thanks, I'll keep an eye out for the right stuff.