To back or not to back...?

[Patience]

I plan on making a hickory bow and would like a few opinions on backing or not. As a side question, has anyone ever stripped a growth ring and used it as a backing? I have some ash with very thick growth rings and it is surprisingly easy to “peel” a ring off. I was planning on using it as a backing.

Thanks

[Pat B]

Is your hickory a stave or a board? Hickory is tough wood. If it is a stave, no backing is needed...probably! If a board, A backing might not be necessary. It all depends on the grain on the back an side of the board.

   Is the ash you have black ash(Fraxinus nigra)? If so, I've heard that it and blue ash(F. quadrangulata)are not good for bows. Black ash is used for basket making. One method of getting the weavers is to beat a log to loosen the rings so they could be stripped off to make the baskets. If the rings strip like you said, I would be leery of it as bow wood or backing.     Pat

[Roy Steele]

With the hickory you like'ly don't need a backing.I've built some bows that the backing was terrible.A there still shooting today.
  As far as the ash strips go your bow will like'y make it any way.If you can tiller.So the strip can't hurt.Give it a try.

[Roy Steele]

With the hickory you like'ly don't need a backing.I've built some bows that the backing was terrible.A there still shooting today.
  As far as the ash strips go your bow will like'y make it any way.If you can tiller.So the strip can't hurt.Give it a try.