Bowyer Discovers New Stave Has Been Hiding Massive Knot for Entire Two-Year Seasoning Period

A two-year relationship between bowyer Stuart Billet and his prized red elm stave ended in heartbreak Thursday when the first pass of a draw knife revealed what Billet described as 'a knot the size of a golf ball that had been hiding under the bark like a coward.' The stave, harvested personally by Billet from a friend's property in 2023, had been air-drying in his workshop for 24 months. During that time, Billet had visited it regularly, checking moisture content, talking to it about his plans, and occasionally running his hands along its length in what his wife calls 'the way normal people pet a dog.' 'I checked her every month,' Billet said, his voice breaking. 'Moisture readings were perfect. The bark was tight. She gave me no indication -- none -- that she was harboring this kind of defect.' The knot, located precisely where the handle section would have been, makes the stave unsuitable for the 65-pound flatbow Billet had envisioned. 'It's right in the fadeout,' said consulting bowyer Linda Sapwood, who examined the stave at Billet's request. 'You can't work around it. It's like the tree grew this knot specifically to ruin someone's weekend in 2025.' Billet has placed the stave in what he calls 'the pile of broken promises,' a corner of his workshop containing seventeen other staves that failed to live up to expectations. He has already begun scouting a new elm on a different property, though he says the trust will take time to rebuild.