I have a Bama Bow comming with dark curly maple riser with a beavertail grip and all Osage limbs. Any of you guys ever went with all Osage and how well did it age.
He told me he had some very beautiful Osage in stock but im just not sure and don't have to decide for a couple of weeks.
I would love to see some older Osage bows and get some feedback from you veterians out there who have been around the block a few times.
Thanks
Joe Van
It will eventually turn a darker amber or honey color but it will take a couple of years.
The more it is out in the light the faster it will turn.
John
Do you think with the woods im using it will look good in a couple of years.
I have a turkey box call that is made from Osage. I purchased it in the late 90s. When I bought it the thing was BRIGHT yellow. But now it has mellowed into a beautiful honey-amber. I say go for it. By the way Nate makes a beautifully crafted, sweet shooting longbow. I sold mine because I got to the point where I could handle more weight. No other reason.
Here are some pics of the seasoned Osage box call.
(http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii31/mikebiz/Pink%20%20Arrows/P1010445-1.jpg)
(http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii31/mikebiz/Pink%20%20Arrows/P1010446-1.jpg)
I recently sold a Great Northern Bushbow that was totally Osage. Over the years it turned a beautiful amber color.
Thanks guys im going with the osage!!!!
Yeah, osage sure gets beautiful.
But if you dont like it down the road, theres no better wood to put under copperhead skins!
osage and yew are the two most gorgeous woods ,they look better as they age,or get a sun tan
My Bama Expi is a few months old and it has started to darken some already, i love the look of those old Osage bows, as they say they antique as they age that was the look I was going for!! Go for it you will NOT be disapointed!
(http://i824.photobucket.com/albums/zz161/chuckbrake/archery/DSC_0019.jpg)
I kinda like osage and a bacote riser, they both age well. Here at about 16 months.
Will be a great combo. Im not a fan of young osage, but like a good wine, it gets better and better with age. When she is good and mature... A thing of beauty. Ya just gotta keep it a while and not sell it !
Unless it is to me :)
Joe,
Don't you have a picture of this Kwykie aged? As I recall it turned a cognac color and just drop dead gorgeous.
(http://i632.photobucket.com/albums/uu47/chromebuck/Kempf-osage.jpg)
Keith
I also like the looks of osage. I had a longbow with all osage limbs and diamond back skins. what a beuty. I gave it away on this site because i couldnt handle the waight anymore. You will love yours. John.
Here are before and after shots of my osage and walnut zipper for comparison:
Before:
(http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q176/akinslow/Bows/DSC04991.jpg)
3 years later:
(http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q176/akinslow/Bows/DSC02391.jpg)
Kinslow that second picture look like a bottle of 50yr old fine wine, amazing.
Joe Van
WOW, what a bow Kinslow!!
When you said all osage for the limbs I'm not sure if you meant cores also. While I think the osage will look great I would suggest that they're are better woods to use for the limb cores. Bamboo, actionboo,sasafrass,yew,elm are just a few that I think would make better limb cores. John
2 layers of bamboo.
I like it very much.
Before:
(http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt12/twotracks/Ambush%20Recurve/P1010035.jpg)
After 1 year I am pretty sure.
(http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt12/twotracks/Ambush%20Recurve/tree2.jpg)
NICE!!!!
Yeah, when you first open up the osage, you love the bright yellow color, then when it darkens, you fall in love with the soft honey color.
I had a Widow PCH X with some Osage in the likbs and copperhead skins with Osage one the belly and i would leave it in the sun about 1 hour a day and WOW it had a lot of grain to it.
I had to sell that beautiful bow when things got bad for me, i would love to have it back. Best shooting bow i have ever shot.
Joe, here is a Great Northern Field Bow that was build in 2001, all Osage-
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7146/6560551235_6d62780233_z.jpg)
A tip that I read somewhere,probably here, is to wipe down the osage just before finishing with Clorox. This gives you that beautiful honey amber color right away. I did a riser a couple years ago and tried this and it came out very nice. John
John i would for sure call Nate gefore i did that but it does make sense. Guys Osage really looks incredible when aged.
He has a all Osage bow on his website if anyone wants to check it out.
Have a beautiful Ted Kramer lb all osage. Pix coming. Agree w/John G re. core woods though.
I think the core wood is maple but i will call and see.
Thats my Osage 62in Expedition that he is featuring on his site, the riser and the limb veneers are Osage it does have a little Becote and Phenolic on the riser but that is it for woods, limbcores are bamboo and I have say that is exactly look that I wanted! Nate and I consulted a lot about that bow before he built it!
Rip my limbcores are bamboo also, just saw where i wrote it down.
One of the Masters Mr. Ted Kramer built this beaut all osage.
(http://i.imgur.com/mpYZ8l.jpg) (http://i.imgur.com/Z7njCl.jpg)
I have a ton of bows with osage limbs. I used to own an all osage Abbott longbow that was about 20 years old that was a dark brown and it had some light yellow and red streaks that was awesome. I currently own 2 Tree's custom recurves. One is all osage and the other has an osage handle with osage cores and black walnut in the limbs. Bamboo is the preferred limb core of most but osage will deliver and is a hardy material.
(http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb286/heydeerman/Osagepcurve001.jpg) (http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb286/heydeerman/Bowstuff009.jpg)