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Osage Orange (Bois D'arc)
Bow Staves
To Purchase Please Email me at ecollins@frontieredgeworks.com
We are again offering Hand Split graded Osage Orange bowstaves to the public. These are offered for the construction of Native American style flatbows and specialty longbows that require following an annual ring to make the "back" of the bow.
Prices based on length:
40 to 42 in. - $35.00
42 to 48 in. - $40.00
48 to 52 in. - $50.00
52 to 60 in. -
$60.00
Above 60 in. -$70.00 +
Anyone who has worked with Osage Orange knows that it is a twisted, bumpy and wavy wood that is superior to most US hardwoods as a bow material. Osage has a flexibility not seen in locust, hickory or the other woods commonly used for bows.
Our staves whether they show saw marks or not are hand split with wedges to ensure good grain integrity. Sawed staves may or may not follow a twisting grain -- you never know till you take it down to the ring, and splitting ensures it runs close to right. That is why ours are split.
Osage Orange is the premium traditional bow wood for Plains Style Flatbows from 38 to 60 inches. It offers the best substrate for sinew-backed bows. In 1815 a sinew-backed Osage Orange bow was worth a horse and a blanket in trade in southern Missouri, so the excellence of this wood has long been recognized.
Our present stock was cut in March of 2009, which means they are completely cured and ready to be worked into a bow. However, please be sure to let your bowstave aclimatize to the particular humidity levels in your area after receiving your bowstave. This should only take a week or two and will prevent any unwanted warp or twisting.
Our bowstaves come without bark, as the bark harbors the notorious beetle that can eat Osage heartwood. We remove this bark before drying.
We consider the following to be defects in Osage Bowstaves:
Twists that put the two working limbs out of a sync.
Open knots or filled knots significantly larger than a pencil in the working area of the bow.
Cracks, checks or interruptions in the solid nature of the wood.
Bug holes
Excessive "pins" or solid small areas that would eventually grow to be a limb.
We consider the following to be acceptible inclusions:
A slight front to back bend in the plane of one limb that could easily be heat-straightened (not including twists)
A small pin or two or even maybe three in a working area of a limb.
A solid knot in the handle section where there will be no stresses.
A solid knot in the nock area that would not be subject to bend stresses but be workable into a nock.
Deflex or a reverse bend in the entire stave toward the target.
Flex, or a bend in the stave toward the shooter.
A defect in a stave that is located outside the outline of the bow.
**** IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS **** Select a length based on the length of bow you wish to build. You can email for special availability and more accurate shipping estimate.
We ship by UPS ground service and will only ship otherwise by special request.
Building and using archery equipment is dangerous if it is not done properly. Frontier Edge Works assumes no liability for the use of any of it's materials in sport archery activities. By selecting a product below you agree to assume all responsibility for safe standards of use of these products.
Pictures below ARE REPRESENATIVE of the bow staves for sale. Please see the acceptable inclusions listed above.
