Elm sapwood

[Thesquirrelslinger]

PB, score the log with a circular saw, kerfing it about 1" deep. This will help guide the split more cleanly. Be very careful cutting the kerf so the saw doesn't get away from you. It can be dangerous.

+1 on that. Only way to split elm IMHO. Works good for ash, too. Nice bow Pat B, bye the way!!

Ash isn't too hard to split. Only took me 10 mins to split a 6" log with just a hatchet and wedge.
Elm can be split, its just a lot of work. It can also tolerate some slight grain runout(and is less prone to lifting splinters IMHO), more so than any other wood IMHO. Take a sledge, 2 wedges, and a hatchet, and get to work. Expect it to take more than an hour.
You need to chop the interlocking pieces of grain with the hatchet, after starting the split with it and putting a wedge in it.

[Jim Davis]

If you use the bottom of the tip of the chainsaw and pull it  along backward, there will be no danger of kickbacks--only the danger of tripping and falling down.

I saw out my elm staves that way. I never try to split them anymore.

Jim Davis

[Joec123able]

Closest thing to elm I've split is hackberry it was tough but I enjoy splitting out staves believe it or not i want to get my hands on some elm to see how tough it is to split

[Prarie Bowyer]

This log  would not split.  The fibers began to pull out from each side then Ihad to hand saw them.  And that only after chainsawing a "kerf" that ran 7/8" of the depth of the log. 

WHY is elm not the premium bow wood?

[Olanigw (Pekane)]

Elasticity

[Bryce]

Elm is a premium bow wood. Did someone tell you it wasn't?

[Prarie Bowyer]

Going back for a loang log trunk that is beam straight and about 18" in diameter.