Mike, great to have you back! I hope to get a chance to shoot one of your longbows--hear they are really nice (but your price on a recurve is a bit salty! lol )

I won't argue the point about bamboo, because I am by no stretch of the imagination a bowyer--I just like to pick their brains--lol. I would like to say that one of the bows I heard about "going bad" with bamboo limbs was a very well known bow/bowyer, and one that is renowned for using bamboo in his limbs. On the other hand, I believe this particular bow was around 10 years old when it happened, so it is feasible that it could have happened with any limb material.

What you said about the pith makes a lot of sense--I'd never thought about that. In your design, do you think bamboo is the top limb "wood"? What are your thoughts on yew? walnut? others?

Chad

Long Bows Rule!