How long to let Osage stave dry?

[Keb]

Looking at buying a stave online, they were cut in April to August this year.

Bark is off ends and back have been sealed.

Advice ???

[LittleBen]

Depending on the dimensions of e stave, it'll probably take a year or more to dry.

If you reduce the stave to near bow dimensions it will dry much faster.

[Keb]

It 68.5 long 2/12 wide 3 thick

[Roy from Pa]

At those dimensions, a good 2 years. Rough it down closer to a bow dimension and you are looking at 1 year at the very least. The longer Osage dries, the better bow it will make. There are guys who dry Osage for 5 years to attain a premium stave. I won't even begin to make an Osage bow till at least two years of drying right after cutting down the tree. Three is better, four is sweet, and 5 is perfect.

[Keb]

I went ahead and got it, it was cut March of this year.

[Roy from Pa]

That is fine Adam. Depending on what weight bow you are looking for, it's possible to cut that stave in half width and thickness wise and get 4 bows out of it. Or at the very least cut it in half thickness wise and get 2 bows. It's better to go for 2 bows than push it for 4 bows. Or depending on how nice the stave is, just cut it down closer to a rough bow shape and then let it dry for at least 6 months, then make one bow. But the longer it dries, the better bow it will make.