Hey gang, I'm very close to ordering a new custom bow.What are your tricks to picking out woods? Thanks Burt
Let the bowyer take the lead in the decisions.
Thanks Charlie,Every time I see a bow that stands out to me, I say I wonder what woods those are. Burt
Go on as many bowwyer sites as possible and look at as many combinations as possible. That should help with your decision.
Find your favorite wood by using the search function. Search for as an example bocote. It will pull up tons of pics. The bowyer can also tell what if any wood he has that is highly figured that could play a part in your decision as well. Mike at Rosewood Archrey is always a huge help.
I like a good lookin bow as well.however Iam not real good at blending woods that really pop well off each other so I tell my bowyer to pick the woods.the things I tell him are things like I like darker blends an I will tell him a list of woods I have come to like an let him take it from there.they all look good I dont prefer light woods an useally like a medium stain so I can enjoy the wood grain.
Thanks everyone, I guess it's time to get a note-book going. Burt
Also keep in mind riser design can make a difference in look with color combos. For example: footed archers, riser length, longbow or recurve, takedown or one piece, and ect. I agree with what has ben mentioned already give your bowyer the idea of your likes,you wont be disappointed.
Some bowyers can hit dead on what you are looking for others can not. It has to do with are they artists or are they simply good with wood.
Pick out your own woods. www.rosewoodarchery.com (http://www.rosewoodarchery.com) then only you are to blame.
There's some cool exotic woods out there. I ordered a bow from Black Widow back in Oct. I really wanted to go down to their shop to see what they had and to pick out the woods, but the flight was too much $$.
I had an idea what I wanted, so after thinking about it for awhile I called BW talked it over and ordered what I wanted. Good luck
I almost went against Roger's advice at Black Widow, when picking wood combinations for my PLX last year. I'm glad I didn't, in the end.
I had already found some sharp veneers at the Waterloo, IA show, and needed to match the riser wood. I asked BW to send me some pictures of previous PLXs they had made, with similar veneer coloring to what I had found, and they gave me a good idea of what different combos would look like. Then I figured on a certain riser wood, and I could hear the hesitancy in Roger's voice as I explained my choice to him. He suggested something else, and I started thinking, "He knows something I don't." I decided to trust him and his experience with hundreds of other bows, and it paid off for me. I now have the most beautiful PLX I've ever seen, in my professional, unbiased opinion!
(http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc248/romangrayjr/SAM_1346.jpg)
(http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc248/romangrayjr/SAM_1355.jpg)
Check out Big Jim's page of exotic woods and pick a couple of combinations you like and let your bowyer choose what they think is best of those combinations.
If you want the best meal you ever had you pick the chef and let him pick the meal.
Rob
QuoteOriginally posted by KentuckyTJ:
Some bowyers can hit dead on what you are looking for others can not. It has to do with are they artists or are they simply good with wood.
Yep.