Dark bellies

[Thomas Pierce]

Hey gang, my fiancée wants a bow with something dark on the belly.  Very dark- like black dark.  I've been digging around the forums and seems like hickory backed black walnut is a reasonable option if I can find a good dark piece.  Any recommendations about another dark wood for the belly?  I'd like to back it with either hickory or bamboo, only because that's what I have on hand, but I'm open to trying something else.  Also, are stains or dyes the way to go?

EDIT: It might be good to know that the poundage will be low, very low.. around 20-25# @26"

[Bowjunkie]

I would use osage and black aniline dye long before I'd use black walnut. I would dye it black as coal and then steel wool it enough on the belly to fade from jet black at the handle to where you could begin to see the wood grain through the dye mid-limb.. then perhaps continuing to fade into the slightest of color as it neared the tips.

[Echatham]

ipe is another good belly wood.  not black... but rich and dark.

[KenH]

I agree with bowjunkie - black aniline dye, regardless of the wood you choose, will give you a nice visible grain black appearance.

[LESKEN2011]

Little Ben made a real pretty take-down using wenge. It is a little expensive, though. You can see it at this link...   Little Ben\\'s takedown build along

[Thomas Pierce]

Osage is pretty hard to find around these parts.. I'll check out the wenge, though.  Don't remember if that's something my lumber yard has- either way, dyeing sounds like the way to go.

[Echatham]

ipe is pretty common as a decking material.

[wood carver 2]

Bamboo back, bamboo or wood core and burnt bamboo belly.
Dave.

[takefive]

If you use aniline dye, you could just go with hickory and skip the backing if the grain is straight.  I haven't dyed one black, but I've used Transtint Golden Brown on hickory and a few coats makes it a deep, dark brown.  I haven't found an oil based stain that will do that on a very white wood.

[LESKEN2011]

Leather dye works good on white woods. It comes in many colors.

[Ranger44]

I've used Rit dye mixed in denatured alcohol.  You can get it as black as you want with multiple coats.  The alcohol evaporates very fast and you can get it black in a few minutes.

Edited to add I did on hickory backed hickory.
 

[canopyboy]

I wouldn't undersell walnut. If you back it, it can make a very fast bow.

But if you want real black, dye is the way to go.