chickenhawk
Senior Member
When making a hickory bow when do youcut the tree down? Is a certain season better than others? Do you have to let it dry out for a while before splitting and making stave? Any help is appreciated
Late summer is the ideal time, after it has put on a good layer of latewood on this year's growth ring. Winter-cut hickory is fine, but it's a pain to get the bark off without damaging that first growth ring. Get the bark off quick, or the bugs will eat your staves up, I've learned that the hard way, and seal the ends real quick. Hickory makes a good bow, but the main problem with it here in the humid southeast is getting an keeping the moisture content low enough in it. It soaks up moisture like a sponge, even when sealed. If the MC is too high when you're tillering it, you'll wind up with a sluggish bow with 3" of string follow.
I've carved out a few walking staves, and shillelaghs over the years. I've found that wood harvested in the winter, doesn't check or split as bad.
Is it just a matter of stripping the bark?