Pecan??

[wapiti1997]

I had to cut a couple of pecans that I planted 15 years ago.. The harsh winter killed the top and they were sucker sprouting.  The main trunk lacked any sprouts, bases about 8" in diameter, 6" on the small end at 6-7 feet.

Pecan is in the hickory family, but who has tried it, good/bad?

I've never cut any wood during the growing season, but WOW, the bark peeled off easily!  I saved 4 clean staves and poly'd the ends and backs..

So, suggestions?  I have plenty of wood so it will be a year or so before I do anything with these...

[Badger]

  I just bought a log of pecan about 18". Bark is a bitch to get off, you timed it right. My past experience with pecan has been with boards, very similar to hickory but just a tad lighter.

[J05H]

It's my understanding that pecan, being of the hickory family, is very similar but that the true hickories are slightly better. I haven't used pecan myself, so hopefully you'll get some more complete info.

[zenart]

Apparently the most common Pecan is the most numerous and is also the one most closely related to Hickory. In lumber yards it's sometimes sold as Hickory as it is very similar, at least visually. That's what is written on it but personally I think it doesn't quite have the same distinct grain I've seen in Hickory.  In my research Pecan's physical traits are not expanded on too much. In fact the other two "sub" varieties of Pecan are distant relatives and searches for info on those is very scarce. It's a beautiful white wood, as it dries it turns a pleasant peach color. We shall see if it has desirable bow qualities or not as Badger is currently making another monster bow, this one a Pecan with a 135# target weight! The log that he mentioned has non-distinct rings making chasing one a challenge.

[wapiti1997]

I have pristine backs, except a couple very small pin knots.  I waited 8 hours after cutting to pull the bark, it came off in one piece using nothing but my fingers..  I may have to lay some whitewoods down this summer!  I have lots of hackberry, ash, elm, and KY coffeetree...

[blackhawk]

@zenart....pecan is closely related to it because IT IS A HICKORY...pecan is a true hickory

For some reason lots of folks have the misconception that pecan is its own species.. I see it all the time,and it reminds me of a few classics ago when I watched patb(and backed him up) hotly debate with another man trying to tell him pecan is a hickory, and the man said no it wasn't a hickory...when in fact it is...it is in the carya family....it got so hot I thought fists were gonna fly...lol 

[wapiti1997]

I think many people think pecan is closer related to walnut.  Walnuts and hickories are both in the same family, juglandaceae, but pecan is a type of hickory as is pignut or shellbark..

[SLIMBOB]

I have some drying now that I cut last summer this time.  Absolute murder to split this one.  Buried 3 wedges in it and it still wouldn't let go.

[Badger]

     Slimbob, I didn't want to sound like a wimp but I am finding my pecan to be murder splitting as well, not near as bad as elm but still tough. The bark is pretty tough but the cambium comes off smoothly as long as it is not concaved or recessed. I am looking forward to this wood drying out.

    Ron, if we can recruit some young strong guys into our group we can initiate them by splitting wood.

[SLIMBOB]

Mine was every bit as tough to split as Elm. After burying 3 wedges to the hilt I just walked off and left it. Came back a day later and went another round. Got it split into half rounds and buried another 3 trying to split into quarters. Hope the bows from it are as stubborn!  I like the young guy idea.

[wapiti1997]

Mine split easier than anything I've cut.  They were small logs..

[H Rhodes]

  Pecan is in the hickory family and works similarly to mockernut or pignut hickory, but it is lower in physical weight.  I think that there is some disparity within the hickory trees.  We have all types in my neck of the woods and you can tell some differences.  There is a water hickory that grows here that you could barely consider a bow wood it is so brittle and weak.   Pecan makes good bows, but it is tough to bend using dry heat and pretty stubborn when steamed.  Debarking winter cut pecan is tough, but it gives you the option of sanding it down to that real thin layer of cambium, leaving a cool pattern of wavy lines on the back.   After storms, huge lower limbs have a tendancy to break off.  Staves that I have cut from the tops of those limbs (reaction wood) have turned into some really good bows that don't won't to give up any reflex.  I have also had good luck with giving the belly a good toasting - heat treating raised the draw weight from 44 to 53lbs on 64" bow that I built two years ago.   I think anyone should like pecan - or hickory!