your choice

[TroyH]

Simple question for selfbow wood.
My #1 & #2 choices are osage and hickory respectively, but what would be your #3 choice in selfbow wood?
I need to cut some more wood and might have to take what I can get.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Osage, hackberry, elm and then hickory.

[soopernate]

Elm..or vine maple would be my choices.  Dont think you are gonna find vine maple out in Indiana though so I would go Elm or Sugar Maple.

[Pat B]

Hop hornbeam, elm are tied for 3rd.

[Black Mockingbird]

I 2nd HHB...but there isn't much difference to me between hickory n HHB. I think I actually like HHB better than hickory...but your gonna get a lot of different answers cus its too close of a race. Hackberrys great too...and so on

[adeeden]

I have been playing with hackberry and really like it, works easy, grows straight, and it's everywhere!

[Art B]

I've made a few black locust bows, and never from a prime piece, junk wood mostly, but that's one wood I'm impressed with. Hoping to get past that fretting stage on my next one!

[Walt Francis]

Yew

[Roy from Pa]

I've made a few from black locust, nice pretty wood and never had any fretting problems yet, however I have heard that about black locust.

[WestTexan]

Never worked Osage but I plan on it If I can find a stave but I do like Hackberry and have built a couple Hickory bows.

[Art B]

Were your BL bows selfbows of backed Roy? Seems like you northern folk have better luck with this type wood.

[Roy from Pa]

Backed with bamboo, Art.

[Art B]

One of my favorites with boo backing is red elm. Have you tried that combo yet Roy?

[snag]

With my limited experience I'd say Yew and then Osage.

[Roy from Pa]

No Art, I'm still waiting for you to send me up a red elm stave:)

[Art B]

Can't get that big ol' boy of mine to tackle another red elm Roy. He's still cursing me over that last one. Who would have thunk it'd be that tough!

[Roy from Pa]

Ya elm is tuff splitting...

[PEARL DRUMS]

I love and hate elm. My PA trade bow is going to be red elm.

[Black Mockingbird]

I don't even mess around with elm n I kerf cut it to get it to split. See..told ya you wood get a bunch of answers. Try em all and form your own opinion.

[razorback]

Black Cherry, cause its what I've got to work with.
If anyone wants to send me something else I'd love to swap with you.