Woods Used for a Homemade Bow & Arrow

Virtually, any wood works to fashion a bow and arrow, but the quality, strength and longevity of the bow varies greatly, depending on the wood used. Ideal woods vary depending on what is available, as not all of the best species of tree can be found in all parts of the world. Fortunately, there are several ideal trees common to North America.

  1. Red Cedar

    • There are several different species of tree that are commonly referred to as red cedar. One is the species Thuja Plicata, which is the western red cedar. The range of the western red cedar is limited to the western United States, western Canada in British Columbia, and Alaska. The eastern red cedar is is Juniperus Virginiana, and is found in much of the eastern half of the United States. Either tree can be used for a homemade bow and arrow.

    Maple

    • Maple tree is the common name for a genus, Acer, of the family Aceraceae. The maple tree is found throughout the United States and much of southern Canada. Maple is a harder wood but will be a good wood to make a homemade bow and arrow from. As with any homemade bow, you want to select a piece of wood that has straight grains and preferably, no knots.

    White Ash

    • White ash is another kind of tree popular with bow makers. Its proper name is Fraxinus Americana, and it is found throughout most of the eastern United States. It is characterized as being long and straight through the trunk, which is an ideal growth pattern for bow makers. It is also flexible and light, which is exactly the kind of wood that bow makers look for.

    Yew

    • Pacific yew, or western yew as it is sometimes called, is more properly called Taxus Brevifolia, and is found as far north as Alaska and as far south as California, and everywhere in between on the western coast. A similar species of tree, called the English yew, was a common material of the English longbow, which is one of the original self made bows, and is the model that many modern bow makers use.