Help with knot...?

[psychmonky]

One limb of the hickory bow I'm working on has a knot about 3/8" in diameter. It doesn't go all the way through the thickness of the limb, but the snakey, worm-track looking thing does. This little nightmare is right in the middle of the working part of the limb. Is this something that is going to cause a failure later, or can I live with it?

This is the belly side

 


And this is the back...only a ripply shadow of the  worm track.

 


Any insight you guys can give is welcome as usual.    

[Black Mockingbird]

Won't know till ya bend it...it doesn't look that bad tho

[LESKEN2011]

I had a similar situation on a hickory backed ipe bow I made. It didn't really have a knot, but a swirl in the grain. The knot was actually a little farther down in the piece of hickory. I took a change and made the bow anyway. It shot great till about arrow 160 or so....then a large splinter popped up with the point right at the swirl. I glued it back down and wrapped it with artificial sinew and super glued it. It held up for several hundred more shots, but I noticed the crack was re-appearing the other day. I have retired that bow....at least till I get a chance to put a new back on it. Just my 2 cents.