Bow blanks · staves
Buy bow staves
Ash, black locust, yew and elm – seasoned for at least three years, ash and black locust from my own woodland. From €70.
Info
I sell the staves I build my own bows from. I fell and split ash and black locust in my own woodland, then they season for at least three years before they are sold – so you get wood that is ready to work.
The staves are over 2 metres long and sturdy: plenty of mass, enough room when marking out. If you have built a few bows already, you can get two bows out of most of them.
Prices
| Type of wood | Price per stave | Good for |
| Ash | €70 | your first bow – forgiving and tolerant of mistakes |
| Black locust / acacia | €70 | bows with "character" and individual challenges - sometimes cool snakes |
| Yew | €120 - €180 | the classic longbow; price depends on growth and freedom from knots |
| Elm | currently sold out | feel free to be put on the list |
| As a small business owner under § 19 UStG (German VAT Act), I do not charge VAT. | ||
Roughed-out staves
For ash and black locust: +€120 per stave – for example roughed-out ash €190.
I expose the back of the bow, mark out the dimensions and work out the top view. That lets you start tillering straight away, that is, gradually working the limbs until the bow bends evenly – the part that needs the most attention.
How to get your wood
- Send an enquiry – in the form below: type of wood, quantity, raw or roughed-out.
- Receive a quote – I see which staves are available and send you the total price.
- Collect it or have it delivered.
Collection
At my home, by arrangement. Free of charge, paid in cash – and you can pick from many staves what suits you.
Shipping
As DHL bulky freight within Germany, €50 per parcel. A parcel holds up to 4 staves (30 kg at most); for that I saw them down to 2 metres. Payment is in advance, and the wood ships as soon as the money has arrived.
Frequently asked questions
Ash. It is forgiving, tolerates small mistakes when tillering, and is inexpensive – if it doesn't work out, not much is lost. Alternatively I recommend a manau stave.
Yes. All staves season for at least three years before I sell them.
For a flatbow, yes. If you need more length, for example because you want to build a longbow and have a long draw, collect the wood – then it stays at full length.
Wood is a natural material. I only sell staves I would use myself; small drying checks at the ends are normal and are cut off when sizing. Sometimes black locust has small drying checks in the sapwood. The wood is so massive that the checks usually disappear if there are any. With black locust the sapwood has to come off anyway.
Almost always. In my courses and with my own bows there have rarely been staves where a flaw inside the wood only showed up during the work. I can't promise it, though – wood is a natural material. And often a good bow can still be got out of it with a few tricks. You learn how best in a bow-making course: there you take home not only your own bow but also the problems and solutions of the other participants.
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Bogenholz herstellen
Info über Bogenholz Staves und wie man sie aufbereitet bis man sie bearbeiten kann