Can redwood be used to make a longbow/recurve bow?
I’m interested in making a handmade longbow and i am curious if using a type of redwood would be suitable. We have two Metasequoia, type of redwood, trees that need to be removed. They are huge and it would be great if they could be used for this application. Any thought?
4 Responses
archerdude
24 Dec 2010
lana_sands
24 Dec 2010
I thought bows flex? A redwood is a hardwood. Strong but, not very flexible.
f100_supersabre
24 Dec 2010
They can be used, but NOT very reliably or for "strong" bows because they are not very flexible.
Tony
24 Dec 2010
Dude use a few extra bucks and spring of Yew that is the perfect wood for bows
With the right design and the proper construction, a good bow can be made using redwood. There are many websites where you can find instructions on building a bow, and this
http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/
is one of the best. Serious help from serious bowyers — you really can’t ask for more (well, you could – but it would be hard to find).