suitable horn

[feistyporter]

It seems very difficult to find information on the web about which types of horn are suitable to use in composite bows. Water buffalo is always named first, gemsbok is sometimes mentioned. I have read both that cow horn is unusable as it has a tendency to delaminate, and that it can be used. I saw a picture of a bow supposedly made with longhorn cattle horn. As horn is expensive, and waterbuffalo is not exactly common in the New England, I thought it would be nice to create a list of types of cattle with suitable horn for bowmaking, and potentially even the area they are common. Please post with your experience.

[bheggeseth]

For me my time and the other materials: fresh cut hard maple, sinew, the time to process the sinew, and the glue far out weigh the cost of good water buffalo horn. Additionally until I have developed all of the skills needed for making horn bows I dont need to add in questionable materials in the mix. That said you may find some luck with using sheep horn.

I worry that good water buffalo horn is only going to get more expensive and shorter in supply, due to tractors quickly replacing work animals for field work, and a growing asian interst in traditional archery. A lot of the remaining water buffalo are raised for meat, which brings them to slaughter early in life. Note I am not sure at what age provides the biggest and best quality horns. On a neat side note the milk from water buffalo has a higher fat content which thus makes for better mozzarella cheese. Due to this there are a few US water buffalo ranches that have poped up.

[KenH]

Some Native American tribes used mountain sheep horn.
Scythians probably used ibex horn.