Wood Color Combinations for Longbows

Wooden longbows have been used since Medieval times for hunting and target sports. A longbow is larger than a traditional shooting bow, as it can range up to 6 feet in height. These powerful bows come in many color variations and are sometimes covered with snakeskin or buckskin. However, shooters who wish to display the rich wood coloring of the bow might select a wood color that combines different stains and wood grain types.

  1. Half Breed Longbows

    • Half breed longbows combine two types of wood into the longbow arches. Though hard and soft wood types are typically not mixed in this variation, owners might select a bamboo wood with a red elm, locust, maple or yew wood. This two-tone longbow then takes on a dichromatic weave on each side of the handle, giving the color combination a light and dark look.

    Orange Wood Longbows

    • Mix osage orange wood with other light wood styles for a yellowish orange wooden longbow combination. Some of the most popular wood types to mix with osage orange wood are honey locust and bamboo. Once the longbow is laminated, the vibrant colors in the osage wood will make your bow look more yellowish with the honey locust combination and more pale with the bamboo combination.

    Rustic Longbow Combination

    • For a musky, rustic wood combination, pair a red elm with bamboo. The reddish colors in the elm mix with the smooth pale green of the bamboo to provide a color combination that's sure to draw compliments. This combination can also make the bow heavier, as red elm is known for being a moderately heavy wood.

    Yew Longbows

    • Yew wood is another popular wood selection for longbows, as it draws a warm amber color when it is cut. As a wood, it's heavy and hard, making the longbow sturdy. According to dlumberyard.com, yew wood has been used for several centuries in longbows due to its strong yet elastic properties. It's also easy to carve because of its fine texture and grain. Yew is often mixed with bamboo or osage orange wood to complement its color and density.

    Dark Wood Longbows

    • Dark wood longbows are also formulated using bamboo or osage orange as its second wood, but the dark factors are produced by using hickory, black walnut or Brazilian walnut woods. Yew wood is also used often for the structure of the longbow, since it adds elasticity and strength to almost any bow it's created with. Adding one of these dark woods can make for a richly colored longbow combination, especially when using one or two wood laminate colors to seal the longbow.

    Laminate Wood Options

    • The laminate or laminates you choose can determine how the finished wood color combinations of your longbow will look. Some manufacturers offer only one laminate while others offer up to four. It's typically preferred to use laminate colors that match your wood, thus yew laminate would be used on yew wood, osage orange laminate on osage orange wood and so forth. Sometimes you can mix and match wood laminate colors to bring out different tones in the wood, but as a general rule, stick to the laminates designed for the woods you choose.