Bow Woods. How I Identify Trees for my Longbows. Harvesting Elm for Bow Staves
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- Опубликовано: 31 июл 2024
- Bow Woods. How I Identify Trees for my Longbows.
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Harvesting an Elm for Bow Staves. I go to the woods to harvest an English Elm tree from which to make bow staves. On the way through the woods, I answer a viewer who asks "How do I identify trees that I use to make longbows?"
I have used four trees species for bow making: Ash, hazel, blackthorn and yew and visit a tree of each species to show how i identify them. I also looks at three species that I may use in the future: elder, crab apple and holly. I then return to the task in hand - taking down a 20+ year old English Elm. I cut two lengths from the tree which will probably yield 4-8 longbow staves.
Please source bow woods responsibly - always seek landowner's permission. This elm was taken from our own woodland. It is an elm 'sucker' and one of many that will eventually succumb to Dutch Elm disease which returns to sucker Elms after 20+ years of growth. Many elms in this stand are also undermined by badgers and a combination of DED and badgers have felled over 50 elms in this area of woodland.
Self-filmed with a Panasonic GH4 + Lumix 14-140mm lens, GoPro Hero 3 and DJI Mavic Pro aerial camera drone. Edited with iMovie.
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The David Attenborough of longbow crafting.
Ha! I wish, but thank you for your comment! Mick
David Attenbow?
Dammit...you beat me by 3 years!!!
@@MickGrewcock Don't wish, you are. You are incredible narrator, teacher, film maker and amateur bow maker. Thank god i found your channel, i know you cannot make bows anymore, but the material is still useful form me, that i just started making them and i also know you will keep making amazing videos about other passions you have. Keep the amazing work!! And love from Uruguay
I really want to get into making bows. There's something about it that draws me in!
Something about your voice is quite soothing. Reminds me of some BBC documentary narrators. XD
EnterTheFatrix Exactly wha i was bout to comment, like national geographic, " and this is the most fearsome fascinating specie, the lion, apparently is hungry as its closing by looking for food"
sounds a lot like sir david attenburough
MattBalfouri just what I was thinking!
Best video on identifying good bow woods. Coupled with your personable manner and photography, the overall was outstanding. Thanks,DM
Loving your videos Mick, you clearly love being in the woods and making things from what you find as much as I do.
Very true. Best place to remember who we are.
I like how you are so cheery and happy about different bow staves
Hi Ben. I have to be that way! If I'm friendly with them, they just might bend the way I want ;-) Thanks for watching.
Super informative and reminds me wby I love the woods. Walking and bushcrafting clears the mind and soul of lifes everyday grind.I didnt know these woods aswell as the yew and ash could be worked into bows .Thank you
Hi im from South Africa we currently in lock down because of the coronavirus and watching your video and learning something about a almost forgotten art it so nice to have you talk about taking a sapling and turning it into a bow
and keeping it simple to learn and not be afraid to mess it up and experiment.
Your voice is very relaxing when u sitting by the tree it reminds me of Gandalf (lord of the rings) minus the pipe, wize and mature like a big tree whispering secrets to us, knowledge that have almost been lost with the art of story telling with all this technology and fast paced lifestyle we living in nowadays it reminds us that deep down the primal urge is our connection to the land we walk and is essential to our well-being.
Awesome work keep it up
Knowledge is power
i have recently begun making bows for myself, and i started out using Ash and its quite a good wood to use
And honestly your videos are basically the bible for me, every time i want to attempt something i dont know, ill go for your vids
Another enjoyable video. Well done Mick. Looking forward to watching the progress of bow making with elm 😊
It may be a while yet but it'll come! Thanks for watching. Mick
what an amazing video it's almost therapeutic especially with that dog
A great tutorial Mick. Keep them coming!
Very cool for sharing this! I'm making one for my kid, I have a small ash tree I had to cut down and it felt just right for a bow
Hey mate, I see you're just keeping it going and as amazing as ever bro.
I really enjoy watching your videos. Thank you for all the work you put into it!
Thank you very much, glad you enjoy and I appreciate your comment. Mick
Entertaining , nice and useful video , I made a few bows out of yew and ash , two selfbows /longbows and one laminate of both beside some takedowns but the main problem was to find straight staves for selfbows , I did'nt know hazel and holly could be used for bows , the first is easy to find , well , all obviously more in the UK than in Brittany...thanks for the English lesson as well !
Please have these trees like the yews planted in plantations for future generations of bowyers to use .
You could probable teach your dog to identify yew trees.
Fabulous presentation! The best yet that I have seen on this subject. Thanks!
Thank you very much Lars!
Another great Video Mick
Good information and especially well presented with clarity
Cheers
Herb
In USA
Thank you Herb 🙏
Your voice is a gift from God
Loved ur video. Very informative. Here in Kansas U.S.A. , I use Boise de arc (HEDGE) and black locust for my bows. Wish there was YEW around here , but hedge and black locust makes very good durable bows.
once again you deliver us an amazingly filmed video and wonderful information. I hope to visit the uk some day and harvest some bow wood.
Hi there and thanks for your kind comment. I hope you get to the UK! Mick
Another very informative video Mick, thanks. Oh and by the way, that's a very nice ride you have.
Thank you very much! Yes, I love my old truck. Can't wait though until LR launch the new replacement for the old Defender! Mick
Another great video Mick !
Thank you. MIck
You are my favorite bowier
You are my favourite Italian! 🙏
Great video Mick! You have a beautiful area there for going into. Some awesome trees! I've never seen a holly tree. The elms, ash, blackthorn are the same here. You do some nice work brother!
Thank you! Appreciate you watching and commenting. Mick
The Sir David Attenborough of bowmaking !!! i like it !
😉
Thank you for sharing!
I think I may try my hand at the crab apple bow thanks for the idea!
Hi Simon, not tried it yet but I believe apple works okay for bows. Mick
Yew bark is used to make the chemotherapeutic agent Taxol.
I have black thorn in my backyard here In America. Europeans brought them here and they're pretty invasive but they make great trees for blocking sunlight in a given areas.
I always wondered if the fruit was safe to eat. Anyway thanks for the informative video. In going to give this a go asap.
great video
Mick, as always, thank you for an informative, enjoyable and classy video. Please let us know how the elm bow turns out!
Thanks a lot John! I will video the elm bow build - but the wood has to season a while first. Thanks again. Mick
Hazel makes great arrow shafts
Agreed!
What Australian wood will make a longbow? The Yew is so old everything else around it is in time lapse. My Nan used to make crab apple jelly. I come from a family of Welsh country people in Powys near Shropshire. I used to roam in the woods growing up, as all my immediate family were timber contractors. The axe and the faller are part of ancient ongoing relationship between Forests and humans, as is the hunter with his silent bow. Few who are familiar with woods are fearful of their close embrace, familar also of those places within the woods that activate your senses, like being beside an ancient Yew for example.
Just found the channel but love the videos!! Keep up the great work with both the videos and the amazing bows!
Thank you Sean!
Congrats. Your awesome spirit and content has earned you a sub
+Cade Farmer Thank you very much - I hope that I can retain your interest!!
Fantastic video, beautifully made, the background, the music, the presenter is excellent at explaining type of woods. Brilliant to watch. Thank you for sharing. “Arrow never lies”, “ in it to win it”. What is the name of your dog? He is doing a great job. Yass archery coach.
Top class.... Thank you... I don't think there is anywhere near me where I can go and get a stave without being arrested !
Oh dear! That's unfortunate. But thanks for watching anyway! Mick
what country do you live in wth thats aweful
Adam probably England xD
How wrong you are
Same goes for me xD
Good vid Mick 😊 do have fun splitting that elm 😊 👍
Hi Dave, I've heard that elm is tough! No doubt there will be a video of my tribulations. Thanks for watching. Mick
This is a GREAT video... Thank you very much indeed !
+Rob Greene Glad you enjoyed!
Awesome vid. None of these grow in my parts, but a little further south I can find yew and hazelnut trees.
Thank you for watching and commenting. Appreciated. MIck
This is brilliant stuff
Glad you enjoyed 🙏
really great information thanks for sharing
Glad you enjoyed. Mick
I just subscribed. I'm picky on who I subscribe 2. great job!
love your videos
Thank you Abraham. Mick
Dat spirit face, top right @ 4:43 doe.
...
Mysterious indeed.
Just made my first ever bow from elm.. i made a flat bow with an small axe and a carving knife and used fly fishing line 3 braids. Pure begginers luck its survied 5 shots so far.. thanks for all your videos helped and inspiered me
Excellent video buddy.
I only have lumber wood available. I use white oak, hickory. Thinking of using cottonwood.
Richard Sanchez Thanks and good luck!
Like the strong string
I am quite interested in this Black Thorn wood you speak of.
nice videos. very educational
Thank you Raj. Mick
was it Witch Elm.
nice video keep up the great work
+Anthony Tuhacek Thank you Anthony! Mick
If you try the dog wood or mulberry wood, you see it is extraordinary and you including this in your preferences ! Have a very nice day !!!
Thank you Mihai!
Hi Mick, good video once again. What a fantastic piece of elm, I look forward to seeing it in future videos. Personally I don't harvest bow staves during spring/ summer. The unfinished growth ring just under the bark is an inferior back to have on the bow. You can of course remove I with the bark, but it makes more sense to wait, to me at least.
I consider elm the foremost bow wood I can source locally (Denmark), not just for its characteristics as a bow wood, but also for its abundance.
donaldtrumpshairdoo Hi there, thank you - and very useful info too. All my harvests before now have been winter but I thought I'd try a summer harvest. There are several more where that came from and I will take a winter one too. Never worked elm so I'm looking forward to it - but it's got to dry first! Thanks again, Mick
Mick Grewcock A little Update from my neck of the woods. I came across some different pieces of wood today, some maple and and hazel in particular. Peeling off the bark brought along the outermost growth layer, perhaps you will be as lucky too?
Atb Esben
+donaldtrumpshairdoo Good news, let's hope so!
Danish ,helm is a good choice ,holmgaard
It testify the thing , the oldest bow finded now as now Is in helm 7000 BC. Helm is not so good as yew or laburnum , It follow the string more than them ,but Is almost impossible to brook , and Is quite easy to work ,but ,flat shape for the limbs , not Stick bow .as the holmgaard style teach.
Amazing you have all these bow trees in your backyard. so lucky. here in Houston only weed and pine tree.
You can make a bow out of pine. One of the oldest bows ever found was found in Germany and made out of pine.
I'm also in Houston and make bows. We have tons of amazing wood around for it, including elms very similar to what Mike harvested here. Sometimes you'll find a cluster of honey locust trees that you can cut if you can get to them through their woody thorns. We are also close to the native range of the osage tree, which is arguably as good as or better than yew for bows - go to Cullinan Park in Sugar Land and walk along the canal and you'll see hundreds of them. I hear you can also make good bows out of the oaks and crepe myrtle trimmings that landscaping companies leave lying around here. The hardest part is getting permission to harvest wood. If you know anyone around here with land, I recommend asking if they'll let you walk around and look for bow woods. Just memorize what elm, honey locust, and osage look like before going!
Great advice for all there, thank you. Mick
You may have other things to worry about, but when people are out cleaning up fallen trees in your area look for Elm, osage black locust trees. Around here Elms got planted in open spaces near shopping centers, if there is a drainage area you are likely to find on property you can cut. Folks may be quite happy to let you take the wood if you help with cutting it up and hauling away. (and some weeds make great sapling bows too.)
You should have some nice old juniper trees growing around there.
Another phenomenal production Mick . Your black thorn and yew trees are the largest I have ever seen . In the States , we have the North West Pacific Yew and it is a protected species . Very difficult to get a permit to cut and staves can be expensive . After watching your video on fletching , I ordered some copper acetate and it arrived yesterday . Wish me luck . Thanks for this video and may you & Ben be blessed .
Good luck with the acetate, use just a little or you'll get a vivid disco green. Feedback from my video suggests that it is still theory about the reason for copper being present in the resin - but its presence is fact. I have a blackthorn thicket about 300/400 yards long and around 30/40 foot deep. In there, there are some very big blackthorn - I have felled one that is about 9 inches in diameter. I hope to get several bows from it - it's eight feet long and straight! I've heard of your Pacific yew, I hope to get some from Canada one day. Hope you are well, Ben is just dandy - off to Scotland soon in search of the grey goose. Stay safe. Mick
Update - Mixed up a bit of copper acetate + pine resin and bees wax . The green appears to be very close to the green in your video . In your video ... you say "copper was obtained by ( hard for me to understand) - verdigris ... or vertebrae ... ? I have a chunk of verdigris sent to me from a fellow in Portugal . Horrible smelly stuff and keep it tightly wrapped in a meat freezer = Lady friend is not remotely fond of it and thinks I am insane . Made some bow string from elk back leg sinew ( the equivalent of a human Achilles tendon ) and hemp . It seems to work well for fire bow and bow drill , but not certain how well it would work for a bow string - 60 - 90 pound draw at 28" - 32" . Saw 2 mountain lions not far from home . A mule named Samson is not fond of them . Stay in touch Mick and say hello to Ben .
It is verdigris, a compound formed as a reaction by copper to acid/atmosphere, copper acetate being a substitute. Apparently by leaving some copper near vinegar you get, hey presto, verdigris. It's that greenish tinge that copper takes on when left outside. The lady friend sounds rather wise! Sounds like rotten vertebrae to me!! That said, my mam never objected to me boiling fox skulls on the stove when I was a kid (trained as a taxidermist would you believe from about 12!!). Love the idea of an elk back-leg bow-string. Ye Gods, and I buy plastic stuff from the store. And mountain lions! Samson seems rather wise too. Look in the About section on my channel, follow the email contact link and pop me an email, then we can keep corresponding. Mick
Ash, elm,&osage orange(hedge apple) are what I mainly use for my bows, draw weights usually 35 to 65 lbs at 29&1/2 inches. By the way, I figure I can trust the word of a man who has a Labrador, they're a fine dog.
A fine dog indeed!
You're like a more interesting version David Attenborough! Love it, gonna be making my first bow at 20 very soon. Difficult to find wood staves in a city!
Good luck Jack!
Very nice vedio..
You have a good passion like me
If any one is living in AR. you can go to the pine groves owned by forestry companies and harvest hardwood they treat them like weeds. Get permission first though.
The elasticity of the Korean bow, with the English bow force, I think it would be a better bow than any other in the world !!! . Think about this. All respect and have a good work!!!
+Mihai Zograf Thank you Mihai!!
I really am enjoying you video keep it up And I made my first bow last week out of ash cos you really inspired me to do so and now I am looking for a yew to build my next one thank you and can explain the pound per inch when tilling more detail please. And thanks once again
Hi William, great that you've made a bow - well done. The pounds/inches is just a way to describe the amount of weight required to draw the string to a set distance. Many bows have draw weight measured at about 28" draw and the amount of 'pull' required expressed in pounds is a guide to the bow's performance. Hope that explains. Mick
Hey mick
I found out that black alder a very good bow wood is and I Make a bow with it.
It is very Nice wood to work with you must try it Some time👍
That's interesting, I have access to alder! Will give it a go! Thanks.
I can recommend Black Locust (robinia pseudoacacia). Already made two bows from it and they are fantastic.
Not a UK wood unfortunately but thank you for the recommendation, appreciated. Mick
Very common here in Poland. It was brought to Europe from North America during colonial times. I believe that right now it's actually treated as an invasive species. Online sources suggest its "introduced" range includes all of Europe and indeed UK as well.
That's interesting, thank you! I'll investigate. Mick
I like making longbows out of Hickory
I would love to do a video showing what to do with a Yew shaft after cutting to season it right.
I'm ready for that yet, but it would be nice to know in advance. Thanks.
Hi there. I'm not making bow videos just now due to other commitments but that's a good idea! The process is simple. Ideally, the wood is taken in the winter when sap content is low. If it's to be a long term/traditional season (they can be dried more quickly) then the ends of the stave are sealed with wax, paint, or similar. The stave is then usually laid flat but supported so that it can't 'sag' in a dry place but with good airflow. At this point, I would check the moisture content using a moisture meter (under the bark) and record it on the stave along with the date when felled/taken, length, etc. Then the waiting begins. The stave's dimensions affect the drying time - a thick log will obviously dry more slowly than a thinner stave. When the stave is showing a reading of about 10% moisture at the surface (under the bark) then I would work the stave. If I wanted to speed it up I could do various things: strip the bark or shape the bow (but not bend it) for example. Long term drying might take a year or more depending upon the stave's size; the quicker route might achieve sub twelve months. The sealed ends prevent the ends drying more quickly than the centre; if they do, the ends could easily split. I hope that helps. Mick
@@MickGrewcock awesome thanks.
I have found here in America that red oak, orange osage, and maple is good. Hickory is really good kinda like yew but not has good. Red oak is good if you don't let dry to long.
Thank you.
You don't harvest deciduous wood when it's in leaf-you wait for after the leaves have fallen! It takes far longer to season when harvested in leaf, wildlife is living on it, birds nesting etc. Elm is still very distinctive from the herringbone twig pattern in the winter.
You've got a great wealth of knowledge Mick, thanks. I'm a bit of a tree geek, but I never knew you could use Hazel and and Blackthorn for a bow. Where I am now, there's hardly a broad leaf tree about. it's mainly Pine and Spruce. To my horror, iv not found one Yew yet! That's my fave, but I have found Hazel and Ash, which is my bow and arrows sorted. Brilliant video, muchly enjoyed. Are you working on a bow at the moment?
Take care my friend 🌲🎯🌳
Clan Gunn Bushcraft Hi Andy, great to hear from you and thanks a bunch for watching. Surprised you've got no broadleaves, are you at altitude? I have a big elm log to split into four bow staves - hopefully one of those will be my next bow. Not worked elm before, I believe it's tough to split and hard on tools. I have handled a heavy elm bow (130lb, couldn't draw it!!) and the wood looks lovely, a real ancient appearance. Anyway, stay safe and look after yourself (ps: I had to re sub you. Have you had any of your subs removed? Seems others have gone from my list for no reason?). Looking forward to your next post. Mick
+Mick Grewcock
Thanks Mick.
There's broadleaf trees in the lowlands, but that's in the town and I don't really want to take from them. There's tree hear that I don't recognise though. Need to do some reserch. I'm spending most of my time in the mountains, so it's all at high altitude. The Spruce and Pine are huge up there. This place is like jurassic park haha. Ash will do great for my bow, but I did buy a crossbow the other day. That'll sure put some meat in my freezer. Made some arrows on my last camp video. I seen you've made a video on them yourself... it's in my watch later list. I'll hopefully be posting the video tomorrow. The laptop I brought out with me wasn't powerful enough to edit it. had to order a new laptop which is being delivered in the morning. Can't wait to see the Elm bow. Iv never made a traditional bow before. Always been selfie/ survival bows made from green saplings. I'm learning alot from your videos. Thanks buddy and the Scotland trip sounds awesome. Bet you'll both love it out there.
All the best Mick 👍
If you wanted to safely harvest branches from higher up on a mature trees you might consider investing in a cordless pole saw.
That's a great idea! Thanks, Mick
Such relaxing videos, anyone else think this is the guy who plays voice of winnie the poo
It’s not true 😉
just found your channel and am looking forward to watching more videos...if I may ask, what is your background? You seem very knowledgeable about trees and nature:)
Agent Zier Hi there and thanks for watching! Spent most of my leisure time outside since childhood, that’s all. My professional life was electronics manufacture/business owner. Cheers for now, Mick
Excellent videos Mick. I am a fellow archer and have recently been trying to identify trees in my woodland but so many leaves look the same to me. Those ash leaves you showed look exactly the same as my hornbeam for instance.
Thanks Berty. If you are in the UK the Woodland Trust has an app to help identify leaves/trees. That might help. Yes they are similar but side-by-side they are noticeably different - hornbeam remind me more of beech than ash but I too find it tough sometimes to figure one tree from the next. Thanks for watching. Mick
thanks Mick, downloading the app as I type
Hope it helps!
Great videos. I near Seattle and want to make a longbow. I'd like to find a Pacific Yew tree and need to learn more about tree identification.
HI there, can't help with PE ID but I imagine it's similar to TB yew. Thanks for watching. Mick
check if the stems are green and look at pictures of the bark, you can find it in forests older than 70 years old
Dear Mick, Thanks for your videos and the valuable information. Have you (or any others) got experience with English oak - Q. robur? I saw they make flat bows of American (red) oak, but i can't find if Quercus robur can be used for flat or longbows without backing the bow. I have a plot of forest I planted ten years ago, i can harvest some oaks to give others more space. I don't want to use the ash since the species is in struggle for survival. Same with elm. I prefer keeping the older big hawthorns on the plot too. Greetings. J.
Hello Joachim. I have never used English oak for bow making. I often faced similar dilemma so i just experimented with woods about which I could find no information. Our elms all die around 25 years old (DED) and our ash die randomly. Meanwhile our young oaks are ring barked by grey squirrels so I can take some of each species without affecting the long term health of our woodland. Good luck and sorry I cannot help you more.
How to spot a tree from quite a long ways away!
Compliments Mick , a lesson for the identification of the trees ,never seen in my Life Hazels Ashes and yews bigs as you have in. England , if you find wild cherry or prunus padus , Try It ,Is a good bow wood and if you find sorbus acuparia ,Is even better but If you' ll find laburnum ,that' s the top , same level than yew ,you have a lot of good options in your Woods, lucky man ,in wonderful Woods. Bye and thanks for the video .
Thank you Roberto. I'd like to try laburnum! We do have some cherry where it is called Bird Cherry. Sorbus acuparia is called Mountain Ash or Rowan here in the UK - we have some in our wood but very few so I will not be felling one of them. Thank you very much for watching, Mick
Mick Grewcock you have maked some of the best viideos of archery and connected argoments i have aver seen ,realy , compliments One more time
Mick Grewcock you have maked some of the best viideos of archery and connected argoments i have aver seen ,realy , compliments One more time , impressive the size of your Black thorns trees ,in tuscany they are small bushes max size of trunk 2" but cut the trees in descending Moon ,possibly last days of descending moon and possibly the late novembet or dicember january the wood It result with the fiber more closed and more compact ,don't cut It in spring ,never ,becouse the fibers are more opened for the flow of the growth saccarin linfa(don't know the exact name) PS the Hazel in Italy goes in flowering in january so for It stop the cut in december,
by ,and as usual scuse me for my macaronic english
Very kind of you Roberto, very much appreciated to get your encouragement. Mick
Are you in charge of that bit of woodland? It looks like an absolutely beautiful place to choose a bow stave. Most bowyers would probably act like kids in a candy store out there! lol
Hi Evan, about 50% of the video was filmed in woodland owned by my wife and I plus other family members. I had to visit two nearby woods in private ownership to show yew and ash trees. I can't take wood from these places! Mick
Hi Mick,
That's a very nice looking Elm stave (ulmus procera?) and it looks like you also may have some good Holly & Crab Apple.
Looks like I have permission to take a few staves and need to talk to the resident forester before doing a recce to see what's there. There should be a good mix since it was part of a parked estate not so long ago.
Rod.
+Rod Parsons Evening Rod, English elm - there is a small stand of them in our wood; suckers I guess because they succumb to DED after about 20 ish years. That one is between 20 and 25 from ring count. Quite a few more there for cutting soon; next one a winter cut. Some lovely blackthorn there as well, 80" plus straight and about 6-7" diameter thickest. Great news about Nocton, what trees are there?
I'm not planning on taking a serious look until the leaves are off the trees but hope to do a little exploring before then. In the meantime I have a few odds and ends to finish, allergy permitting.
More a question of seeing if there is anything that speaks to me.
+Rod Parsons I hope your hands let you finish them Rod.
"Touch wood" or then again, maybe not. :-)
Very droll Rod!
Whenever those elm staves are ready I'd like to see the build on that one. Not sure if English Elm is similar to American Elm but if it is you may want to rip it in half with a bandsaw. I've heard Elm are really hard to split because if the interlocking grain.
Hi Kyle, I've heard the same - it's tough to split. It's drying just now but I'v got to choose which way I split it. Thanks for watching. Mick
Hi Kyle, I've heard the same - it's tough to split. It's drying just now but I'v got to choose which way I split it. Thanks for watching. Mick
Mick Grewcock I've seen some people free hand a centerline with a chainsaw a couple inches deep and then split it from there. Seams a bit too risky for me.
+kyle plants I use a chainsaw often but even so the risk of running off centre is too much of a risk for me - though I'm sure a real chainsaw expert could do it easily.
Very well made video! I have a burning question though. What is the name of your dog? They are quite the cute little bugger.
+Jed Syrenne At 30kg he's not so little but I'll give you cute. Six years at my side, born on my late father's birthday so inevitably named for my dad: Ben
Hi! Your videos are amazing! Thank you for your tutorials! I`m 14 and I make my first bow. I find the information that birch is not bad material for bow. I make my bow out of it and everything is ok, but is a birch nice choice? There is no ash or other tree arround me, so now I use a birch. What do you think about it? Should i make a bow out of birch?
P.S. I am Ukrainian and don`t speak english nice, so maybe I made a lot of mistakes in this comment) I`m sorry)
Nice video! The ear-like fungus on dead elder wood (Auricularia auricula-judae) is edible and quite delicious! I am surprised you did not take it along :-)
Hi, yes I've known them from being a kid - they common name I guess you know as we did - though I've never eaten them. Lots in that wood on elder. Thanks for watching, Mick
They taste crunchy even when stewed quite bit, they are excelent in wog stir-fries, when dried, one can store them for years. When soaked in water for few minutes, they are as fresh again. But enough about Judas ear, thanks a lot for your inspiring videos! :-D
Thanks so much for all the info!!!!! Do you think silver birch would be any good? Thanks. Tyrone
Birch is often used for bows. I suggest wide limbs. But finding straight stems of SB in the UK is surprisingly hard! Good luck 🤞
@@MickGrewcock thanks Mick - will give it a go - I have a nice straight stave
No birch ?
Agincourt french is invidios
what wood do suggest for making arrows
Ash, poplar, hazel is easy to harvest in the UK for arrow making. Thanks for watching, Mick
ah a classic british sound, the sound of a defender in the woodland!
Oh yes Nick, enjoyed that sound since I was five! Thanks for watching. Mick
👌👍
hello Mick, thanks for sharing your experience.
have you tried to use redcedar for bows ?
any thoughts?
thanks
Hi Victor, no I've never attempted to work with red cedar - though I think I have read somewhere that it will make a bow. Sorry I can't help further. Thanks for watching. Mick
thanks
Mick, what do you think about black locust? Would you concider to make a bow from black locust in the future?
Yes for sure - though it is not common at all in my area and is of course non-native to the UK. I believe it makes good bows.
@@MickGrewcock Yeah, I know but I have read that black locust was praised by the Native American bowmakers and it's very common in my area 😊 It's a little bit challenging because it's often has many knots. It would be great if you would have a chance to get some black locust it would be a great video .
What string is strong and good at the same time for a bow?_?
What kind of bow?
you should be a narrarator
How long after cutting the log can you work it?
Simon Foreman Depends on the wood type, whether it is a whole log or split, when the log was harvested, the conditions it is stored in etc. That’s not me being evasive, just an indication of the influences on a piece of wood that affect its drying speed. It can take as long as three years for a full log, as little as a few weeks for a piece of green wood worked down to bow size. I aim for around 10% / 12% moisture content before work/tillering. Hope that helps.
Hi! amazing video!!! i want to ask you something, is the walnut a good wood for making bows? i have some sticks and i want to make a longbow, but i don´t know if it´s gonna work...
I believe black walnut (USA) makes good bows if made correctly, I can't say about the European walnut. Mick
Thanks, i´ve checked it and it´s an european walnut. But i´ll try to make a bow anyways!
Have multiple elm trees that need to come down. Could burn or sell the wood, thought, why not make a bow instead?
Why not! Good luck
What watch do you have?
In that video an Omega Seamaster Professional automatic. Mick