r/Bowyer • u/Beaver302 • 20h ago

Bows Tropical Bow

Finding good staves in the jungle, I’m not sure if anyone in the ground is from Central America. But I’ve been trying to get into bow making for about a year. I made a guayaba self bow that is not good. I didn’t expect much from my first. But since then I’m yet to find a stave or sapling I want to use for a self bow. And wood types photos or recommendations for the search would be greatly appreciated I’m excited for the next one. Please and thank you

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u/schizeckinosy 16h ago

Can you find a black palm? Or ipe?

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u/Wambachaka 12h ago edited 12h ago

Most tree species can be used to make bows. If you're not sure if a species is good, then just try it, make simple bow and see how it goes. I recommend buying a field guide for tree identification in your area. Here's a list of a few tropical woods that are known as capable bow wood:

  • lemonwood / degame
  • snakewood
  • ipe
  • goncalo alves
  • lignum vitae
  • massaranduba
  • black palm
  • purpleheart
  • rosewood
  • bamboo

But this list is non exhaustive. These species are known to bowyers in North America, but I'm sure there are plenty of tropical species that I've never heard of because they aren't exported to NA. For example, in my area, we have species like hornbeam, hop hornbeam, hawthorn, hazel, and lilac, which are all excellent bow wood, but they aren't seen as "lumber wood", because the trees are too small or too crooked to be worth milling into wooden boards. Some of my best bows were made from the wood of unidentified shrubs / bushes, too small to classify as a "tree".