So I cut this honey locust today (needed cut down anyway) and was wondering if it was worth drying and attempting to make a bow out of it down the road. I've heard it isn't ideal wood for self bows (would backing it help?) but is it worth learning the basics on since I've never built one or would it be an exercise in futility? If it is worth while I assume one would use the sapwood on honey locust? Thanks

Didn't get poked while plucking that piece did ya? Beautiful ring pattern in that.

lol I was smart and cut all the thorns off as high as I could reach before cutting it, fortunately this one didn't have too many.

TBOZ, if you decide to try it, post the progress. I have a pasture full that is going to slowly be thinned down. Would love to know if there is any good for the tree.

-Bones

So, how many staves would you get out of that?

It works but I always backed it. I was using boards never had a stave to work. I say go for it.

I used the sap wood only on a few , they work fine,make a little wider and little longer than BL or Osage. Takes a little more wood to make weight. I never backed it as long as it is a clean back it should be good. Pappy

Cool, Thanks for the input, I sealed the ends and plan on splitting the log later this week. Hopefully I can start chasing a ring in the sapwood for the back of the bow after a few months.

I know bows and fence posts cone from black locust.

How good is honey to black? How does it compare to osage? Talking about bow material, not post.

Also how do you guys process the tree? I know far too much about how tough the needles are. Any way you guys have found a way to dispose of the needles so they don't end up in tires.

I've go fence row cleaning to do someday on the family farm. We have old 28-32" honey trees. We would like to get fence posts out of them and there are so many trees that they would be a great way to start learning the way of the stave and draw knife. The issue is making sure all the needles are gone. Don't want to destroy a $800 dollar tractor tire.

It sure makes good lamination for composite bows. Northwind used to use a good bit of it, and I had the chance to shoot several of his bows at ETAR many moons ago.

It's a locust (not Black Locust that normally takes over many areas) so it should make a decent selfbow. You could always back it with hickory or bamboo. It sure has a nice ring configuration. Heck I would try it...Black Locust seems to make a good selfbow.

Not trying to hijack your thread, but can you leave heartwood in the riser area as long as you have removed it all by the end of the fades? Also a "D" bow would not have any heart wood, I understand that, but the contrast would be pretty if you could leave enough to form the grip.

-Bones

Yes I have left a little heart wood in some smaller staves. No problem , I just want clean sap wood to be the back. I don't think it would make very good fence post, it's not like BL that will last and not rot for many years. it will deteriorate pretty quick if left out in the weather. As far as comparing it to Osage,no contest. Osage is far better bow wood,but ha , use what you have it will make a serviceable bow. Pappy

If it is straight grained, I think it would be a great 1st bow wood to work. It was the first I worked but the large tree had been down on the ground for a while and it had rot. Bow broke early in tillering but it taught me a lot. It is very good wood to work with. My second bow was elm and it shot OK and I stopped making bows. Trying to make one now from Sassafras. It is going slow.

Yeah, I don't think it really an ideal bow wood, but I'm hoping that it might have some potential, or at least enough potential that I can learn on it. Would you guys just split that log in half only since it is pretty small?

Thee is an excellent manual called " The Bent Stick" by Paul Comstock. I'm not sure if it still in print, but it is a great "how to" on the whitewoods and lists your locust as suitable for making a bow, if you just peel off the bark, and not cut into the sapwood as that will be the back of your bow. TLM

yes, split in half, seal the ends with shellac.

And yes, just peel off the bark and don't try to chase a ring.

Black and honey locust are not closely related, though they are both in the family Leguminosae--so is clover, alfalfa and Scotch broom (a wide range of characteristics). So the good things about black locust are not necessarily present in other members of the family.

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