I had a self bowyer i met many years ago at a long bow safari contact me saying that he has a bunch of shag bark hickory staves he'd like to find a home for. They were harvested in Missouri about 6 years ago and are very high quality straight grained staves.

If anyone is interested in having some these to build bows from, please let me know. He said he would drop a bunch off at my shop in the future. I have no idea what the value of these is. i never asked him what he wanted for them. But he doesn't want to mess with shipping. Said he'd bring me a truck load if i can find bowyers that want them.

let me know if you are interested.   Kirk

You can't beat good, straight grain hickory for selfbows and especially in dryer climates. There are plenty of self bowyers in the NW so they shouldn't be hard to get rid of. Shipping would probably cost what the staves are worth.
Kirk, if you'd like I'll post this on Primitive Archer and have folks contact you for info.

Quote from: Pat B on March 28, 2026, 11:11:09 PMYou can't beat good, straight grain hickory for selfbows and especially in dryer climates. There are plenty of self bowyers in the NW so they shouldn't be hard to get rid of. Shipping would probably cost what the staves are worth.
Kirk, if you'd like I'll post this on Primitive Archer and have folks contact you for info.

I'm just trying to help this old boy find homes for his staves, I have no monitory gains in mind personally. He's in Montana right now, so the staves are probably bone dry after 6 years.

I really  don't want to have a truck load of staves stored in the loft
Of my shop if they not worth shipping.  The guy doesn't even do email, much less internet. He found my card and just called me out of the blue yesterday.  Sounds like a nice guy, and an experienced self bowyer.

If I can hook him up with someone who can help him distribute these staves that would be excellent.  So please do Pat.

Kirk, PA is slow this morning so when it's running better today I'll post your first post and give your email address along with an explanation of the situation. I'll be sure they know no shipping.

Quote from: Pat B on Today at 10:50:23 AMKirk, PA is slow this morning so when it's running better today I'll post your first post and give your email address along with an explanation of the situation. I'll be sure they know no shipping.

Thanks... I'd really like to find someone who would be interested in helping find homes for these staves, & appreciate them
.
The gentleman's name is Tony, and he told me i could pass along his phone number. he has about 60 staves.    phone # 406 290-4511.  He will be making a trip to Oregon in the not so distant future looking to move back here from Montana. He's also looking at Redding CA.

Note*  I have nothing to gain by sharing this info. I'm Just trying to help a fellow self bowyer that is coming up in years, and slowing down his bow building projects.

Regardless of what many guys think, i believe the self bowyers are the true masters of this trade.    

Kirk

I posted it on PA and I'll go back and include his name and phone number. I did put your email address on the first posting.
 I appreciate your comment about self bowyers. I used to be pretty good but now I'm just old. 

Quote from: Pat B on Today at 02:19:55 PMI posted it on PA and I'll go back and include his name and phone number. I did put your email address on the first posting.
 I appreciate your comment about self bowyers. I used to be pretty good but now I'm just old. 

I'm right there with you Pat... this getting old chit ain't for sissy's.

It kind of cracks me up when someone asks me to tiller a glass or carbon backed bow for 3 under.     The tillering on a laminated bow is pretty much done with the limbs shape, taper rates, and different wedge configurations if the limbs width profiles are the same.  Oh sure... you can weaken top or bottom limb by sanding glass and change the tiller measurements. But that is NOT tillering a bow.... Tillering is carefully adjusting the way the limbs are bending, and where they are bending and balancing things out nicely.... The tiller measurements are just that.... Measurements.

But when the customer asks for 3 under tillering, I just say ok....   

Yeah, readjust the nocking point would probably do it. I never understood the three under thing but I shoot instinctively and just look, draw, anchor and release. It's the most simple way for me and that's the way I like it.   
 I hope we can find someone to take these staves. It would be a shame if they got used for BBQ. 

Quote from: Pat B on Today at 04:28:47 PMYeah, readjust the nocking point would probably do it. I never understood the three under thing but I shoot instinctively and just look, draw, anchor and release. It's the most simple way for me and that's the way I like it.   
 I hope we can find someone to take these staves. It would be a shame if they got used for BBQ. 

Ya... that's what I'm hoping for too. A few years ago my son in law told me that a gal he as working for part time in the summer maintaining a 60 acre section of land was setting on a huge bunch of Osage that had been setting in a shed for 15 years. Originally she wanted to make outdoor furniture out of it, and hauled all the way up from California. But the project never happened and she wanted to clear out the shed. Said I could have it for bow wood if I came and picked it up.  Unfortunately there wasn't even one log that was suitable for stave wood. It was so twisted up and checked,  With splits in it. I used most of it for firewood. I think I still have a few pieces I could make some  riser blocks out of in the wood shed, but that's it...was a crying shame.  The stuff burns like coal in the wood stove, and throws sparks cutting it with a chain saw. Damn that stuff is hard.