My new Osage Orange Kitchen Board

[Briar Lee]

A few months ago a friend who is an amateur woodworker came to my office and measured for a kitchen board that would fit exactly my sink, and double as a cutting board.

I specified hedge (Osage Orange) and it took him some time to find the materials and make up what I needed.

This is made from ancient Osage Orange, air dried at least ten years, and hand made, finished with mineral oil and beeswax. It sits on the shelf flat as can be, is exactly the right size, and only cost a hunnert dollars, cash money.

Don’t say there ain’t bargains left in this old sin cussed world, full of woe.

I’m so proud of it I’m just a bustin’.

 

[mawnansmiff]

Interesting grain on that timber.

Regards,

Jay.

 

[SBC]

Love it.

My other fancy is traditional archery, and Osage is arguably the greatest bow wood.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I have a pipe made of Osage Orange carved by Skip Elliott. Interesting gain as it colors.

 

[mawnansmiff]

Love it.

My other fancy is traditional archery, and Osage is arguably the greatest bow wood.

That would be yew surely? At least this side of the Atlantic.

Regards,

Jay.

 

[SBC]

That would be yew surely? At least this side of the Atlantic.

Regards,

Jay.

Ah, Ye Olde Stave of Yew. Yes, from Robyn Hode with his grey goose shafts down to today, the English (and many others) have always prized Yew as the greatest bow wood. And they are right -- for the English Long Bow. The ELB has a D-shaped cross section which puts enormous compression pressure on the centerline of the belly, and nothing performs better with this design than Yew. The ELB does not fling arrows with as much speed as an American flat bow does, BUT, it flings over-heavy arrows with far more efficiency than an American flat bow does. Which is to say, if you prioritize arrow weight (and there is good reason for doing this when you want to penetrate armor, as a heavier projectile retains more momentum downrange), then there comes a point (this is measured in grains per pound of draw weight) beyond which a flat bow's efficiency will drop off extremely quickly relative to the legendary ELB.

So, no arguing with you.

But many American bowyers believe that, when a flat bow designed for typical hunting weight arrows is in view, you can hardly do better than Osage Orange. It is to the American flat bow what Yew is to the English long bow.

 

[UB 40]

A few months ago a friend who is an amateur woodworker came to my office and measured for a kitchen board that would fit exactly my sink, and double as a cutting board.

I specified hedge (Osage Orange) and it took him some time to find the materials and make up what I needed.

This is made from ancient Osage Orange, air dried at least ten years, and hand made, finished with mineral oil and beeswax. It sits on the shelf flat as can be, is exactly the right size, and only cost a hunnert dollars, cash money.

Don’t say there ain’t bargains left in this old sin cussed world, full of woe.

I’m so proud of it I’m just a bustin’.


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That’s a nice peace of wood. Osage Orange is also suitable for pipes.

 

[scloyd]

Love it.

My other fancy is traditional archery, and Osage is arguably the greatest bow wood.

About 20 years ago I had a longbow made for me. I had a choice between Osage and Pecan. I chose Pecan. Why did I choose Pecan? I don't remember...maybe cost. I still have that bow, although it's been packed away for a dozen years.

 

[SBC]

About 20 years ago I had a longbow made for me. I had a choice between Osage and Pecan. I chose Pecan. Why did I choose Pecan? I don't remember...maybe cost. I still have that bow, although it's been packed away for a dozen years.

Osage Orange is revered, but difficult to come by in many parts of the country -- especially straight grained staves needed for bowyery. Hickory (of which pecan is a sort) is probably the greatest of the bow woods common among artisan bowyers (whereas maple, which is a bit inferior to hickory, is most common in mass produced bows). Hickory is an outstanding bow wood, with superior tensile and compression strength, so that a laminate bow can have hickory for both back and belly. Pecan specifically is not a common bow wood (just because of availability), but it can cross-pollinate with all the trees we call hickory, and its wood has all the same characteristics, except that its grain is much more beautiful.

Do you have any pictures of it? I'd love to see it.

Who made it?

Do you still shoot at all?

 

[scloyd]

Do you have any pictures of it? I'd love to see it.

Who made it?

Do you still shoot at all?

No, but I will take it out of it's case a take a pic this weekend.

I don't remember.

I haven't shot it in about a dozen years. Since I packed it away. I don't hunt. I purchased it just to shoot at target.

 

[mawnansmiff]

Ah, Ye Olde Stave of Yew. Yes, from Robyn Hode with his grey goose shafts down to today, the English (and many others) have always prized Yew as the greatest bow wood. And they are right -- for the English Long Bow. The ELB has a D-shaped cross section which puts enormous compression pressure on the centerline of the belly, and nothing performs better with this design than Yew. The ELB does not fling arrows with as much speed as an American flat bow does, BUT, it flings over-heavy arrows with far more efficiency than an American flat bow does. Which is to say, if you prioritize arrow weight (and there is good reason for doing this when you want to penetrate armor, as a heavier projectile retains more momentum downrange), then there comes a point (this is measured in grains per pound of draw weight) beyond which a flat bow's efficiency will drop off extremely quickly relative to the legendary ELB.

So, no arguing with you.

But many American bowyers believe that, when a flat bow designed for typical hunting weight arrows is in view, you can hardly do better than Osage Orange. It is to the American flat bow what Yew is to the English long bow.

The trick was to create a bow with just the right mix of sapwood & heartwood to get the maximum 'spring' from the piece. After all, a bow, any bow, is just that, a spring.

Making a yew wood bow was/is a very skilled art that not many nowadays can accomplish. Back in the day the French dreaded the English longbowmen as they were able to fire from a greater distance than they could themselves.

Some years ago a shipwreck was dived and many longbows were brought up to the surface. I remember one was cleaned up and put in a draw device (I forget the correct term) that tested a bows springiness and this several hundred year old bow still had amazing capacity to be used effectively as was later demonstrated by a qualified archer in a field.

Regards,

Jay.