HOMAGE TO A TREE

Now we are planning the stick down to its final dimensions, an even taper that together with the camber will give the bow its character. But without the resiliency of the wood itself, nothing can be done. The bow is collaborative effort between the maker and the tree the wood came from. Each tree is different from the next, in its genetics and from the conditions under which it grew, the minerals in the soil, the rainfall. In later posts, I will go further into the ecology and conservation of Pau-brasil, as Pernambuco wood is known in Brazil. This stick we are working on is highly selected, first the log in Brazil 24 years ago and later in my shop as I cut the boards into sticks. The board this stick came from produced three sticks, two of which are already in the hands of great players. Even though we know quite a lot about this stick’s potential we still must approach it openly, thinking about the player who its destined for.

One way a bowmaker can evaluate a stick is simply to feel the plane shavings. Great wood makes wiry curls that spring back when pulled and their density gives them a waxy sheen. If you put a single shaving into a glass of water it will turn that water a bright nearly day-glo pink. As you may know, pernambuco wood is a dye that was imported into Europe long before its discovery for bows.