No experience with that particular wood but I would like to see a pic of the end grain. From my experience the tighter grain woods are less likely to fail. Of course as Tim Baker has said in the Bowyers Bible any wood can be used if the bow is designed to accomodate grain type. My intuitiveness where design is concerned is nil compared to Tim’s so I tend to stick to the tight grains and more standard longbow designs. Another tidbit is if it carves easily it probably will fail. I would definitely take great pains not to violate the growth ring chosen as the back of the bow.

I would very much like to hear about your bow out of russian olive. I have been considering trying some of that myself because that seems to be the most available wood around here.

Found this site that shows some examples of olive wood. Scroll down near the bottom to see Russian olive.

http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/olive.htm

The grain looks pretty open to me , I guess the best way to find out if it will make a bow will be to make a bow!

Definitely would make a beautiful riser for a laminated bow!

Duncan

I do know it checks like a sonofagun. I cut some for firewood several years ago and cut a ‘cookie’ to se about making something from it and it split in half. For sure have some glue or poly handy when you cut it.