Thanks, PD. I really pampered this one while tillering it and I think that helped with the flat profile, but it's a hard springy piece of wood I started with.
TMK, it does look like bone. Real tight grain structure on this Plum and hard as a stone. I stained a piece to see how it looked and there is very little grain to pick up any color so I just left it natural.
Fred, thanks. Sweet thing is, that's not old Osage with a patina. That's freshly scraped wood. Real redish color to it.
Owlbait, Blairflair2, thanks guys.
Clint, thanks man. Following your post with interest.