This is a question for Bowyers

[Stump73]

What is your favorite wood to work with and why? It could be because of looks, easy to work with, etc.

[Pat B]

Wood bowyers of glass bowyers

[Stump73]

Either wood or glass

[Sixby]

Perhaps because I used to build custom rifles it is super fancy walnut for me. I especially like Claro, Bastogne. and English walnut. The best of all woods all the way around is super nice English IMHO. Of course again that is probably due to my background.

God bless, Steve

[**DONOTDELETE**]

For ease to work with and strength i like Bamboo & Maple for laminations....  Riser wood for strength and beauty I'd have to say Macassar Ebony, & Bubinga.....

I absolutely love walnut... Both the English and Black walnut is drop dead gorgeous. Finding really figured stuff is getting harder to get my hands on.

Myrtle wood is cool looking and easy to work with, but most of it is pretty soft.....

[Bow man]

Walnut by far is my favorite as well love the looks very classy.  We would prefer to use any domestic wood over imported woods just to keep money in the US, but we will build with what ever the customer wants

[Pat B]

I prefer osage because it is so forgiving and tough. I've made bows from many woods, all have their pluses and minuses and all made good bows if you design the bow for the wood used.

[Burnsie]

I'm not a Bowyer, but I'm on board with Sixby.  I think quality Walnut is some of the best looking wood around,  but often gets overlooked.  I think it may be because it is often considered a "domestic" wood and people seem to being drawn to all the fancy, uniquely named exotics. Many of the exotics are definitely beautiful,  but if you have ever held a top end rifle/gun made with premium walnut,  you can't deny its beauty and class.

[Sixby]

Here is some Bastogne with Macassar

 

God bless, Steve

[Pheonixarcher]

Steve, that is a sharp looking bow! Love that combination. What model is that?

[Bowwild]

Neat question!  I'm not a bowyer.

Funny, I love highly figured walnut in my rifles but I have never considered the wood in a bow.   I love Macassar Ebony with lots of brown and black grain. Just the qualities I like in beautiful walnut! Hmmmm?

[Stump73]

Macassar ebony is very beautiful. The reason I posted this is because bowyers are always hereing what the customer wants and not what the bowyers favorite is. Like I said the looks of the wood, easy to work with, the wood with the less problems they experience,  or anything else that could make it their favorite wood to build a bow with.

[Friend]

Interesting inquiry...

Am interested following this thread.

[damascusdave]

He does not post here but I asked Jack Kempf that question a couple of years ago...he quickly replied Dymondwood because of the ease of working with it

DDave

[Sixby]

I too could say diamondwood except that it is so brittle and I am allergic to the dust.
The last time I used it I was broken out in a rash for a week.

God bless, Steve

[Mike Mecredy]

Dymond wood is most easy to work with, but the sort I used is quickly becoming a thing of the past since Rutland plywood burned down.

So I like cocobolo, I have some mild nasal allergies to it and it loads of my sand paper but it's easy to work with.  followed by hickory, just due to the strength and simplicity, and if you get the right part of it, it actually looks nice too.