Black Locust Staves

[Ancient Paths]

Well I just split it and a lot of it is rotten. Thanks for your patience with me and at least I know more now than I did. I’ll post pics in a little while but at this point I don’t feel like trying to save any of it.

[Ancient Paths]

Here is the log I cut and split

[Ancient Paths]

stumps i was to late on. I now see what y'all are talking about on the black locust.

[Pat B]

The spalting(discoloration) is fungi, rot. Might get some nice knife handle scales or tip overlays or even bow handle risers out of that wood but not bows.

[Ancient Paths]

Thanks for the help! Guess I will focus on harvesting that pignut.

[JW_Halverson]

Thanks for the help! Guess I will focus on harvesting that pignut.

I have turned out a few nice pignut hickory bows!  In our dry climate up here in the Dakotas. it is every bit as snappy as osage or yew! 

[Ancient Paths]

Thanks for the encouragement, it’s very humid where I am but hopefully I can seal the bows well. I’m working on a mockernut right now. Waiting for it to season a little more before tiller. I am determined to find some Osage or locust. They are not native here but can be found around old homestead and graveyards. Thanks for all the help and from saving me a lot of work on that cherry. At least I didn’t get it all split and then find out. Thanks again everyone!

[Ancient Paths]

One last question, how hard would it be to transplant the head high saplings onto my land and I read that locust can grow 26ft high in 3 years. Is this true and will it be worth my time to transplant? Thanks again.

[Pat B]

Now would be the time to do it. Depends on how long it was out of the ground though as far as survival. Locust sends out runners and will colonize if allowed to.
You may be able to get locust seedlings to plant. Check your Cooperative Extension Service. It's used for erosion control.
Also, you're not going to get good bow years with 3 years of growth. Ten to 15 years maybe.

[Ancient Paths]

Thanks again Pat B!