I used to think that darker Osage was denser Osage. I'm not convinced that is the case though. Worked a good bit of it lately. One I'm finishing now is very dark. Love the color for sure, but I honestly see little if any difference in performance over the yellow stuff personally. All things equal, two staves lying side by side, I would probably choose the darker stave simply because of the rich color once it is done. Curious to hear your take as you work through it. Nice looking stave!