Ironwood

[PeteDavis]

When bowyers talk about ironwood, are they looking at eastern hophornbeam (oystra) or hornbeam (carpinus or blue beech)?

I have tons of hophornbeam here on the farm and some of them look real good for staves.

PD

[Mangeur de lard]

Well that's the thing about common names, you can never really know. Should we all switch to latin? haha.
all kidding aside, usually I think people talk about hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana. It's great bow wood and, as you said, they can come in nice long straight staves. I have seem a few hornbeam Caprinus caroliniana bows around here but that tree is often gnarly and has twisted grain.
If you have a good supply of Ostrya, you have a lot of bow wood on your hands.

Cheers
Matt

[PeteDavis]

Wow, I walked the property today, six miles, through a lot of relatively well-drained sites with fair soil. I found hundreds of these. I think I'll find the best two and cut and split them out. We also have tons of hickory and black locust but the HHB has me intrigued.

PD

[_Jon_]

I'm working on one now at Twin Oaks.  I love the wood and how it is shaping up.  Pappy said it one of the best pieces of wood he's seen when he gave me the stave. 

[Pappy]

Not Blue beach,it is a great white wood for sure,just watch when you cut it that the bark runs pretty straight up and down the trunk,it is bad about being spiraled and if it is it will propeller bad when it is split. So pick and chose your trees just like you do with most woods. Jon's piece is very clean,most have some character to deal with.
   Pappy