Ben Pearson Colt's wood?

[Klent G. Johnston]

I gave my dad a Pearson Colt for his birthday last year. He refinished it and it is pure beautiful. According to the old catalogs on the Pearson web site we think it is a 1966, the first year the Colt was a recurve. Before this year it was a longbow prior apparently. Anyway, according to the catalog the riser is made from Olla. Does any one know what this wood is and where it come from?

Thanks, Klent

[JJB]

I refinished one a couple of years ago from about that same time period. I believe it is walnut with a maple site window on mine. Nice shooting bows.
-Jay

[Matty]

O got one for Julie as her first bow. I spent that entire summer shooting it.  Hahaha we still have it. I should re finish it too.  Ours is a long bow with recurve-ish limbs. The wood is white ish yellow and reddish brown. Like walnut.
Post a pic of your refinished bows. Would love to see them!

[KSshrewman]

Here's my colt refinished by John at Bow Hospital.
I believe it's Osage and ... Not sure but maybe walnut is darker wood.


 

 

[Hot Hap]

The Colt's riser wood is Olla wood.

Hap

[Klent G. Johnston]

I have tried searching for info on Olla wood but cannot find. Where is it from? What is an Olla tree?

[KSshrewman]

Only thing I can find is an olla louisiana.  Maybe the wood is from that area.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

That is black walnut with the osage I Beam bow above.... I'm not familiar with Olla at all... got pics?

[Matty]

Maybe "olla" is Louisiana slang for olive
You know like some people would say the color is "YELLA"
Or the season is "winta" in NY,or when my dad would get mad at us he'd "holla" real loud.
              Oh man I crack myself up!
So in my very limited wood knowledge. It could be Osage or I know they used lemonwood a lot back in the day. Which is usually not as vibrant as Osage. But looks like Osage in a certain phase of it's life. Just my $.02 oh ya. And walnut..

[Stumpkiller]

I think "Olla" is an older name for Cocobolo.  My Ben Pearson Colt went to Washington State along with a half dozen wood arrows to get a new Trad Bow shooter off on the proper foot.  I refinished her from a pretty a tired and scuffed up bow with MinWax satin poly.  Turned out nice.

   

     

Cocobola
   

[Klent G. Johnston]

I don't have any pics but the bow looks identical to stunpkiller' s. So it may be cocobola?

[slim_grim]

I know Olla is a type of fungus, but a wood??? Beats me.  

[SELFBOW19953]

FWIW, I have not found any mention of olla, anywhere. I did find this.

Lecythis ampla  is a species of woody plant in the Lecythidaceae family, which also includes the Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa). Common names include Coco (Panama), Coco mono, Coco cristal (Colombia), Coco de mono, Olla de mono (Venezuela), Monkey Pot (Guyana), Kwattapatoe (Surinam), Castanha sapucaia, Sapucaia vermelha (Brazil), Machin-mango (Peru). [2] It is found in Central and South America. It has been considered an endangered species in Costa Rica.

Here's what I found on cocobolo:

 BOTANICAL NAME: Dalbergia retusa of the Family Leguminosae

Dalbergia hypoleuca is reported as a synonym

COMMON NAMES: In Mexico, the tree is called granadillo, but in most places around the world, Dalbergia retusa is known as cocobolo. Other common names are: caviuana, caviuna, cocobolo nambar, cocobolo negro, cocobolo prieto (panama), cocoboloholz, costa rica), foseholz, funera (el salvador), granadilla, granadillo (mexico, guatemala), jacarandaholz, legitimo, melon, mexican cocobolo, nambar (nicaragua), nambar de agui, nambar legitimo, nicaragua rosewood, palisander, palisandre, palisandro, palissandro, pallisander, palo sandro, pau preto, red foxwood, rosewood, uruana