Last fall I recieved a couple osage staves from a friend I've never met from N. Mexico. He says he got them from another buddy in Oklahoma...good connections for friends. I never asked for these, they just "showed up" in the mail during hunting season. This friend and I occasionally keep in contact via email, and he has been at this bowhunting thing for some time...anyway, he figured I could "make something" of these...and so here is the results.
The first stave to arrive has a story of sorts. Said to have come from the same area that Jay Massey grew up, it spent (the story I heard) several decades as a fencepost, and then was stored for another couple decades. It was well cared for before storage, and carefully reduced cleanly, so as to prevent side checks and cracks along it's length. It is the darkest osage stave I've ever seen, having all those years to gracefully age.
The next stave was similarly cared for, though not as old, but well seasoned just the same. Both staves were some of the tightest growth rings I've ever chased, and took me some time to reach a pristine back. The "younger" stave, after splitting from it's sister....needed some propeller corrections, and both got the tips "flipped" a bit. Since both were so tight ringed, I opted to back with rawhide. Both bows came out about 66 inches, nock to nock, and around mid-sixties for draw weight. The "younger" stave was made into a bow for my friend Tim Roberts....and I decided to keep and use the Oldy-goldy for myself this season. Anyway...here is a pic essay of sorts. Enjoy..and good luck everyone with their seasons!
Note the contrast in the wood of the "old" stave after I removed some...also, the fence staple holes.
Topic: Summer builds......"gifted" wood (Read 593 times)
