BLACK PALM SELFBOW ...NEVER SEE ONE ?

[getstonedprimitivebowhunt]

I seen a bow this weekend that I was told ... Made of Black "PALM" tree. It was given to him. It has no season rings. It is kind of stringy looking wood. Straight fibers that ran lenth of bow.It was about 68"  40# @ 28

Ever seen one like it??????
It was cool looking

[robtattoo]

I used to own a Black Palm longbow. It was before I knew as much as I do now about bows, so consequently I broke it.
It was 74" long & roughly a flattened 'D' shape in cross section. It was a smooth taper from the center down to bot tips. The tips were cylindrical & the string held in place with hemp knotted around the limb tip, forming a crude nock. I'd have to guess that mine drew over 80# at 28"

I've done a little basic research into palmwood bows (Since I destroyed mine with ignorance!) They demand a very low brace-height, 3-4" is about right. Even at extrem length like mine was, drawlength is very limited. With your friends 68" I really, really wouldn't draw it much past 20"

The fibers in palmwood don't run for very long, certanly not the length of the bow. 8-10" is more normal. The black, cylindrical fibres themselves are very tough indeed, but the softer, light brown pith is very soft.

Palm bows are generally built by jungle tribes for hunting, mainly, small game, monkeys & birds etc. In the research I did, it seems as though most of these South East Asian tribes are small statured, often no taller than 5'6" & rather than the draw syle we are used to, hold the bow at angles anywhere from vertical to horizontal & draw to their chest with either a pinch or 2 fingered draw.

[John Scifres]

I have made a black palm bow.  It was long and narrow and carried the low brace height robtattoo talks about.  I still have it but don't have any pics handy.  My black palm is so dense it is tough to reduce the handshock especially since it is a long, bendy handled bow.  It's cool but not something I'd shoot much.  It draws 60#+ at 28".

[getstonedprimitivebowhunt]

Anyone know where I could get some Black Palm to try ?

[DVSHUNTER]

thanks for the info guys. I enjoy learning about all the different bow woods.

[Brently]

I have one a friend brought it back for me from Papa New Guina.  Iy is a narrow bend in the handle and draws @75lb.  I replaced the bamboo string with a flemish string.  It is a very dense fiber and you can hardly scrape it.  I really don't shoot mine much because it just dosn't feel good.

[capt eddie]

I went to the Amazon basin of Peru on a hunting trip.The hunting guide made me a palm bow while on the hunt. I have shot it a few times.  The draw length is very short.  You can hear it cracking if you over draw. I tried to get Tim Mullins to use the bow in the construction of a Tree stick.  He did not think it would work.  But he did use a piece of Iron wood for the tips.  It looks great, Bright red in color.

[John Scifres]

ttt

[KellyG]

I seen one on the ozbow forum.

[JamesV]

I have a piece of black palm 1 1/2 X 1 1/2 X 18" to build a riser for a longbow. Very interesting wood and really heavy.