Help with stave id

[bigcountry]

Well,  bought a stave off a fella and he originall thought it was osage.  I got it and thought, no way.  We discussed it together and came to the conclution it could be mulberry.  He said it had fruit on it like osage and leaves looked like osage but ridged. not smooth like osage.

So today I chased a ring and had a heck of a time.  I ended up taking off sapwood and some of the first ring.  Figured a ring might be chasable when it dries more.  I sealled and put up until winter.

The early growth was strange to me.  It was opposite of osage and not as defined.  You didn't hear the distinct crunching sound like on osage. In between the rings was dark red like osage late growth.  The late growth was more whitish, but when it sits for a few weeks turns red like osage?

Any ideas?

[Pat B]

Generally the mulberry I've seen had thick rings like your stave. Do you have pics of the bark? If it is mulberry, add 10% to the length and width of an osage of the same weight. Mulberry can make a very fast bow because it is way lighter than osage and almost as strong.
   I have made mulberry bows with all heartwood, heartwood and sapwood and almost all sapwood. All were good shooters but the more sapwood you use the thicker the limbs will be.

[woodstick]

dont look like osage to  me.

[AKAPK]

looks like mullberry 

[bigcountry]

The biggest thing that sticks out to me is the in between the growth rings its dark red and not as defined like osage. 

I am just wondering before putting a lot of work into it, if its possible to id.  I don't have a picture of the bark, or leaves.  The guy lives in north ILL.

[cowboy]

Hard to tell with that picture. Looks like it could go either way but like PatB said, all the mullberry I've cut has really thick rings like yours there.

[Aosda]

Looks like the Mulberry I'm scraping on right now.  It has that dark red between rings that seems very porous.

[El Destructo]

Looks like Mulberry to me too...but ain't no way it had Fruit like an Osage does....Mullberries are small like a Raspberry...not the size of a Grapefruit.........

[smokeu]

Looks like the red mulbery Im working on too.

good luck

Mike

[bigcountry]

Thanks Guys, I am going to email the guy back and ask about the fruit that was on it.   He cut it last month in N. Ill, so not sure how much it had on it.  I just hate to start working this stave and it turns out to be garbage. 

But on thing for sure, if you ever work a piece of wood like this, you won't forget how the early wood is and how dark rust it is. 

[Pat B]

Ask him about the bark and leaves. The leaves will tell the tale!  Pics would be nice if he can swing it.