Evergreen Trees With Pliable Wood: Yew and Beyond

Woodworkers and artisans often seek out evergreen trees that produce pliable wood ideal for bending, shaping, and carving. One iconic species known for its flexible timber is the yew tree. In this article, we’ll explore the characteristics of yew and survey other desirable options when a bendable, workable evergreen wood is needed.

Yew – The Classic Pliable Evergreen

With fine, straight grains and natural elasticity, yew (Taxus spp) has been the premier choice for items requiring shaped wood for centuries Its combination of strength, stability, and ability to flex and compress without splitting makes it perfect for objects like bows, musical instruments, furniture accents, and woodcuts.

Let’s look at what gives this evergreen its uniquely pliable qualities:

• The wood possesses interlocking grain patterns that provide both strength and flexibility. The fibers can stretch and compress without damage

• Natural oils and resins permeate the wood, enhancing its rich red hue and allowing for smooth bending.

• Density and hardness vary across different parts of the trunk, yielding sections with different properties. The optimal wood for longbows and musical instruments comes from the tree center.

• As an extremely slow-growing evergreen, yew trees produce tough yet elastic wood. Growth rates of less than 1 foot per decade result in fine, consistent grains.

Thanks to these traits, skilled artisans can steam and shape yew wood into curved shapes from furniture to classic longbows. While supplies have declined in modern times, it remains a highly-valued material.

Alternate Evergreen Species with Pliable Wood

While yew retains the most renown, other conifers also yield flexible, workable wood:

• Western Redcedar – Its soft, straight-grained wood has a lightly aromatic scent and compressive strength. Carvers value its ability to hold precise detail once shaped.

• Alaska Yellow Cedar – Another cedar species with an interlocking grain that allows compression without crumbling when carved and sanded. Has a smooth texture.

• Redwood – The fast-grown wood is lightweight and straight-grained. Easily shaped when green and remains dimensionally stable as it dries.

• Pine – Soft, resinous wood that machines and carves well. Varieties like Eastern White Pine and Sugar Pine bend without splitting and can be polished to a smooth finish.

• Basswood – Often used by woodcarvers. Its fine white wood can be shaped easily with hand tools and has an even texture across cuts.

While not as renowned as yew, these alternatives offer pliability along with their own unique grain patterns, scents, and carving characteristics that lend well to particular applications and regional availability.

Factors That Impact Pliability in Evergreen Wood

Several key factors influence the pliability and workability of any evergreen wood species:

• Growth Rate – Slow growing trees have denser wood with finer, more flexible grains. Fast growth yields more porous wood.

• Moisture Content – Freshly cut “green” wood is most pliable. As moisture is lost during seasoning, the wood becomes stiffer and less bendable.

• Heartwood vs Sapwood – The older heartwood is generally less pliant than the younger sapwood layers.

• Knots and Defects – Clear wood free of knots and defects provides the greatest flexibility. Damaged areas create weak points.

• Drying Method – Wood dried slowly under cover is more pliable than rapidly kiln-dried stock. The drying process can break down flexibility.

Understanding these dynamics helps woodworkers select the best stock from various conifer species to meet project needs.

Enhancing Pliable Properties Through Processing

Beyond picking an appropriate wood species, pliability can also be enhanced through these processing methods:

• Steaming – Exposing the wood to steam softens lignin in the cells, allowing easier reshaping without breaking cellulose fibers.

• Boiling – Submerging wood in boiling water produces similar pliability-boosting results to steam.

• Bending Forms – Shaping wood around a curved form or mold helps align and compress fibers gradually as it dries.

• Reducing Thickness – Thinner sections of wood can flex more easily than thick stock. Quarter-sawn boards are ideal.

• Grain Direction – Cutting wood to follow the grain direction rather than across minimizes breakage when bent.

With skill and care, these techniques allow even moderately pliable wood to be transformed into dramatically curved forms.

Examples of Products Requiring Pliable Wood

Evergreen woods with excellent pliability have long been utilized for items like:

• Longbows and recurve bows
• Musical instruments – guitars, violins, keyboards
• Windsor chair seats and spindles
• Decorative walking sticks with shaped handles
• Carved utensils, kitchenware and containers
• Intricately carved friezes, moldings and sculpture accents
• Bentwood furniture and accents
• Custom fishing rods
• Snowshoes and paddles
• Solid bentwood jewelry and accessories

And many more! Whether an ancient bowyer or modern luthier, artisans value species like yew for their ability to flex and compress without breaking – perfect for both tradition and innovation.

So when your woodworking projects require just the right amount of “give”, look for pliable evergreen woods like yew. With care and skill, they can become almost any shape imaginable!

Frequently Asked Questions About Pliable Wood

Many first-timers working with bendable woods have these common queries:

What is the most pliable wood? Yew has the greatest reputation for flexibility and compressive strength. However, species like cedar, pine and basswood also carve and bend well.

How do you make wood more pliable? Steaming or boiling prior to shaping softens lignin and makes wood more pliant. Slow air drying also preserves flexibility versus kiln drying.

Why is yew wood so flexible? Its natural oils, slow growth rate, and interlocking grain patterns give it unmatched flex and compression qualities. The heartwood is superior to sapwood.

Can you bend pine wood? Yes, pine has moderately pliable qualities depending on the species and grain orientation. Works well for basic furniture accents and carvings.

Is green wood more flexible? Freshly cut “green” wood has higher moisture content allowing more flexibility when shaping. Wood stiffens as it dries.

What is the most flexible wood for carving? Basswood is a top choice for hand carving. Yew and cedar also carve well and hold precise detail. Avoid open-grained woods like oak that resist detail.

With the right evergreen species and processing methods, even novice woodworkers can successfully create beautiful bendable forms. Let us know if you have any other questions!