Bard

what woods should one choose? I am going to order a Hunter 1 from check mate bows. The bow will be used to hunt all types of game. I am woundering if you "long beards" would give suggestions on woods choices. I mean, do light color woods reflect to much light there by giving me away? As with any hunting bow, it is going to get banged around over time, is there a type of wood that hides these nicks and dings better? Or is more resistant? Any input would be appreciated.

thanks,
Bard

LBR

In my opinion, black walnut is a great limb wood. Yew is my favorite, but in a moderate length, moderate weight recurve you probably won't be able to tell much if any difference between yew and black walnut. Chek-Mate won't offer a limb wood that has not been proven in their designs, so you won't be hurting if you just pick the one you think looks the best. Some bowyers prefer bamboo or actionboo. I figure I'll catch it for this, but I'll say it anyhow. Chek-Mate will use bamboo in the limbs, but it costs extra (due to material costs) and it won't be covered by the warranty. The reason being that, in their tests, Chek-Mate has found reason to be concerned with the durability of bamboo over time. Since the fiberglass protects the limbs, you shouldn't have to worry about dings in the wood on the limbs.

Riser woods vary in looks, weight, and (to a point) durability. The heavier (mass weight) woods are generally the harder woods--cocobolo, Bolivian rosewood, chechen. The other woods are pretty durable as well. Black walnut is probably the softest of the riser woods offered, and probably the lightest.

The way I look at it, my bow is a tool, an tools are meant to be used. Don't consider them dings--call them "character marks".

Chad

Deadeyes

I received my hunter with cocobolo riser and Yew limbs about a month ago. I have also had 2 hunter II. I can't tell the deference when shooting between The Yew and the Blackwalnut limbs at all, But the yew looks better to me under clear glass. On the riser get a hard wood I like Cocobolo fot the looks as well as the weight and it is (Very hard wood). I don't think walnut makes a good riser at all. It is soft and light. Easy to damage and more vib. JMO

Venoy

How does the walnut show up under clear glass? Is it a pretty wood for the limbs? Also, what wood looks good for the riser (handle) with walnut limbs? Are Chekmate bows rated for fast flight strings?

stealthycat

If you're getting a custom bow made, and know you'll like it/keep it, order some of the most exotic stuff you can. Another $100 in woods and you'll love your bow even more. Clal the bowyer and see if he has a special piece lying around or somehting.

Me ?

I like bocote ... love the stuff.

Got to www.blacktailbows.com and click on all those bows to get an idea of how woods go together great photos of how exptic woods should look

Tuffcity

You can get an idea on what different woods look like at this page as well. bow wood

Durability and dings really aren't much of an issue with my CM's. I've dragged them through the Pacific Northwest jungles and northern spruce/pine forests in rain, shine and snow for the past 8 years or so and they've held up very well. The odd scratch and character mark but that's to expected. Even my kid's long bow he's had for 3 years still looks new, and 10 year old boys aren't that easy on equipment.

RC

LBR

Walnut isn't the fanciest of woods, but does look good. It's generally a chocolate brown, somtimes with a little bit of blonde/light tan, and dark figure. For riser woods with walnut limbs, I like shedua, shedua/bubinga, or Bolivian rosewood/bocote.

You can use any type string you want on a Chek-Mate and not affect the warranty. I prefer Dynaflight '97 myself, have been tinkering with Formula 8125 lately and like it too.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I've had some of the fanciest bows I've ever seen go through here--hate to see them go. I've also had some that weren't real head-turners at first, but the more I looked at them the better I liked them--not real fancy, but very classy looking.

Some of my favorites are cocoblo, bocote, and chechen for risers; beeswing figure eucalyptus, figured maples, and waterfall bubinga for limb veneer. In a two wood riser I think the best looking ones are a combination of real fancy and subdued woods--like bocote and Bolivian rosewood--less is more to me with these. The rosewood compliments and sets off the bocote. Too much bocote (or any real fancy wood) and you run the risk of looking like a pimp. I also like contrast--a real dark and real light wood in the riser, real dark limb veneer on the back of the limbs and real light on the belly--kind of a ying/yang or harlequin effect. That's my 2 cents anyhow.

Chad

4dbird

Like Chad said,"beauty is in the eye of the beholder". A lot of the bows that have caught my eye, did so due to an accent of osage orange. Though a wood that has little grain itself, it really shows up next to one that does. Red elm would be my choice for limb material. Resistant to splitting and looks good too.

Troy n Oh

Chad there aint nothin wrong with lookin like a pimp[8D] I don't think you can ever have enough figure in a piece of wood or a dream I am not fond of veneers for the limbs but hey the more grain in the riser wood the better for me.On the plus side I have ordered alot of chek mate bows and never seen a ugly one yet. Good luck with that decision

Elkshed

I think osage orange is an awsome bow wood and has some character.
Elkshed