Dan, I have noticed that some of the osage i get from west kansas, or nebraska seems to never really give me the tight compression osage I get from the south, or even from places like Illinois. Some of the best osage i have worked with has come from ohio, and illinois. This wood came from kansas, osage is one wood I try to pay attention to where it comes from. The growth rings looked good and the width demensions were generous although it did come in a tad lighter than what my little formula says I should have built it at. Steve