Black Locust

[SDS1]

In terms of bow woods, What type of bow does black locust make? Is the wood difficult to work with? Does it loose its cast? Are there any prominent problems with Black Locust other than how hard it is? Will it make a fast shooting bow? Did the Native Americans of the East Coast use it? Any other info, or examples of a finished black locust are appreciated!!! Thanks in advance.

[ranger 3]

LOCUST, black .69. Stronger in tension than compression. A flat-back design is fine, but a crowned-back, wide-belly design is ideal, as from a smaller diameter limb or trunk

[George Tsoukalas]

I learned on black locust. I think it is a good wood. It looks like osage but make it a little wider and a little longer than for  osage. Tiller well as some say it can chrysal easily. I've actually had more ash do that than BL. I think Northern BL is better than Southern BL after listening to bowyers from the South. Yes, it was used by Native Americans. If you have it use it. It's not as sensitive to moisture as some of the whitewoods. Have fun. Jawge

[SDS1]

Thanks Jawge, Im here in PA so I will use it for my first self bow, I am just learning and have been reading and reading and reading. This is becoming addictive for me. Thank you, Jess

[Pat B]

If I am not mistaken, BL is the strongest wood in compression of all the North American hardwoods but it is more brittle than other woods like osage. This is one reason why it is prone to fretting. There does seem to be a difference in BL from one location to another and maybe especially from north and south like George said.  For me, it is susceptible to fretting and so I don't use it very much any more. This could easily be because of my tillering. I seem to push it to much sometimes.
 I believe the Cherokee and other Eastern Woodland Natives used BL as one of their primary bow woods. Their bend through the handle bows would lend itself to BL as a reliable bow wood.

[bigcountry]

I have a bunch of staves drying.  I can't wait to work on them.  It sounds like you need to make em 10% wider, and 10% longer.

[Missing Impossible]

sent you a pm.

[frank bullitt]

Well, I will say it is pleasent to work , plentiful and a pretty wood. I have a bow that Gary Davis made in '91, he shot this alot as his personal bow until 1993 when my wife bought it for me, because I had my eye on it and had shot it with Gary. In 1997, after alot of shooting and hunting the bow has fretts on the lower limb. I had been stringing by step-thru method. Gary says this contributed to the fretting.
  Jump to 2008, I'm still shooting this bow  and took a doe with her last fall. My Question is, if your bow fretts, do you quit or do you have an outcome? This bow wood was from Oklahoma given to Gary from Al Herin! I have made a bend in the handle bow that is about 50lbs , alot of shooting and no fretts and not the best tiller.
 It worked for the Cherokees and I love mine! Good shootin, Steve

[George Tsoukalas]

Rememebr that osage is best with an all heartwood back but if the stave doesn't have enough heartwood then the closer to the heartwood the stringer the sapwood. Remember that sapwood eventually becomes heartwood in a tree. If the bow frets is can be fixed. Gotta go. Jawge

[bigcountry]

Does anyone know if BL limbs on a selfbow can be trapped?  Because its better in tension?  Or would this cause a splinter or ring violation?

[George Tsoukalas]

Why not? But I never really worried about that. Jawge

[bigcountry]

Just figured you could match teh tension with the compression some