Is Sitka Spruce a good bow wood?

[akbowbender]

I have a couple of nice Sitka Spruce trees downed on my lot that I haven't bucked up yet. Before I do, though, I would like to know if Sitka Spruce makes a good bow wood. I heard that someone on Prince of Wales Island made Sitka Spruce long bows, but I haven't been able to confirm this, or find any information by searching the web.

Thanks.

[Jim now in Kentucky]

If you sinewed the back it might work as well as  juniper.  Sitka  spruce  is  a  good arrow  wood.

[Outwest]

Old growth Sitka Spruce is one of the lightest weight to strength ratio woods of any kind.
It used to be used to make airplanes a few years back.
My dad and I used it to build a drift boat several years ago. It was the lightest and easiest rowing drift boat I've seen.
Someone should try it for bow wood. I would think it would be good.

John

[Tree man]

Any wood can make a bow. Sitka Spruce is very strong for its weight so,  as Jim said-it might do well with a sinew backing....but SS would never be my first choice a sa bow woood. Denser harder  woods are generally superior bow woods to anyunbacked conifer. And, while I love my sinewed juniper Owl's blazing speed I don't expect the durability from it that I'll get from my sinewed Osage.

[Fletcher]

Might be pretty good between a couple strips of fiberglass, tho.  Only one way to really find out.

[akbowbender]

I guess I'll split off a few staves and set them aside for possible bow making experiments. I'm not sure I'm crafty enough to make a bow. I have been trying to make arrows the way Jay Massey did by splitting shakes off of spruce logs and planing them down. All I've managed so far is a pile shavings and couple of sticks that sorta look like arrows!