hop hornbeam / ironwood

eflanders · February 02, 2012, 10:04:00 PM

Folks,

Please tell me what you know about working with hop hornbeam otherwise known locally as ironwood as a bow wood? I was once told that ironwood was a very good bowyer wood. How does it compare at all of the other proven performers like Bamboo, Osage, Red Elm, Maple, Oak, Walnut & Cherry?

What I have learned so far that there are many different wood species commonly called ironwood. The Lignum Vitae version of ironwood is considered the heaviest of all woods and it is quite oily in nature. Sounds to me like it would make a great riser wood, but probably not appropriate for limbs. Is this a easily optained wood species like Bacote, Paduak and other imported woods?

wood carver 2 · February 02, 2012, 10:16:00 PM

Check out www.ironwoodbowyer.com.
Dave.

D · February 02, 2012, 10:18:00 PM

Ipe is also called ironwood and it makes great wood for limbs. It needs to be backed by something like bamboo or hickory.

scrub-buster · February 02, 2012, 10:30:00 PM

HHB is one of the best whitewoods. I like it better than hickory. It is just below osage in my opinion. I am refering to building selfbows from it. I have no experience with composite or laminate bows.

Pete W · February 03, 2012, 03:00:00 AM

I just finished a HHB bow, and will shoot it in tomorow. The stuff is hard as rocks, but it seems to be a good bow so far.
I have 3 more staves of HHB and I am looking forward to creating a special bow for me with one of them.

nlester · February 03, 2012, 11:31:00 AM

OK. So, I'm again, confused. Has anyone made a bow out of Musclewood? Around here some people also call it ironwood. This HHB,ironwood,blue beech discussion always confuses me....I'm easily confused though

Black Mockingbird · February 03, 2012, 12:22:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by nlester:
OK. So, I'm again, confused. Has anyone made a bow out of Musclewood? Around here some people also call it ironwood. This HHB,ironwood,blue beech discussion always confuses me....I'm easily confused though

Yup,I've made a musclewood bow...musclewood,blue beech is american hornbeam. And eastern hophornbeam is what is being discussed here and more commonly called ironwood. Two diff types of trees.

SEMO_HUNTER · February 04, 2012, 02:56:00 PM

Don't confuse Ipe with these other woods, Ipe is actually Brazillian Walnut used for flooring.
HHB is something else entirely, and ironwood is a name that has been applied to many different wood/species.

Look Here for a bit of info on Ipe
http://www.abswood.com/pages/ipe-decking.htm?gclid=COTCrrKMha4CFWOMtgod3VVD2Q

Technical Info on Ipe
http://www.ibama.gov.br/lpf/madeira/features.php?ID=246&caracteristica=217

If you decide to use Ipe it does need to be backed with something and use caution when working with it. It's akin to fiberglass or worse, very itchy stuff but it didn't bother me too much. I took showers each time after working with it and tried my best to keep the dust off of me. It's extremely strong in compression so a thin slice goes a long way.

psychmonky · February 04, 2012, 04:34:00 PM

According to the Smithsonian tree handbook, the actual hop hornbeam is native to europe and asia. The tree THEY call ironwood is sometimes referred to as "american hop hornbeam.

Hope that adds to the confusion.

Scott

Pete W · February 04, 2012, 07:07:00 PM

This is the tree I used for my last bow.
http://www.na.fs.fed.us/pubs/silvics_manual/volume_2/ostrya/virginiana.htm

George Tsoukalas · February 04, 2012, 07:34:00 PM

It is a very good bow wood. Very similar to hickory though I don't think it is as tough but pretty tough anyway. It doesn't sop up moisture as much as hickory. I can take a sliver of hickory and it in half but it won't break. I can take a small sized sliver of HH and bend it and break it. It is nevertheless a very good whitewood. Jawge

SEMO_HUNTER · February 04, 2012, 07:37:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by psychmonky:
According to the Smithsonian tree handbook, the actual hop hornbeam is native to europe and asia. The tree THEY call ironwood is sometimes referred to as "american hop hornbeam.

Hope that adds to the confusion.

Scott

That's actually what I've gathered about HHB since hanging out here on the Bench, but I've also heard other species referred to as ironwood that's not actually ironwood. So the consensus is that HHB is aka Ironwood by American standards I suppose.

Bob at Work · February 05, 2012, 10:39:00 AM

ask Marc St Luis...he makes most of his bows using HHB...not American Hornbeam...
Bob

spider64 · February 11, 2012, 09:52:00 PM

Does anybody know if HHB is in nc?

Dan Landis · February 12, 2012, 01:11:00 PM

Spider, acording to the range map in the link that Pete W posted above, it grows in the western mountains in NC

George Tsoukalas · February 12, 2012, 01:22:00 PM

Hop Hornbeam and Hornbeam (Beech) are 2 different woods. Yes, I've made bows from both. The Beech is also called muscle wood and both are sometimes called ironwood. Jawge

Pat B · February 12, 2012, 01:48:00 PM

"Ironwood" is a common name so not a good name for identifying wood. Any wood that is hard is called ironwood. If you use the botanical name anyone in the world will know the wood you are talking about. Most good ID books or website will have the botanical name.
HHB is a very good bow wood. I have a HHB bow I finished up just recently and an making a HHB for my PA trade bow. It seems to work very similar to hickory and hopefully not as effected by R/H as hickory.
HHB does grow in NC...just not where I live. d:^( I've seen it in SC and GA too.