Finally split the “mystery wood”... Elm?!

[Tommy D]

With a friend on his farm in Oxfordshire UK and they have a pile of this in a barn - he’s not 100% but seems to think it’s boxwood... is there a bow in this? Looks like it could be split into a few good billets?





Would appreciate any comments if anyone has any ideas what wood this is?

[DC]

It's right there in front of you and dry. If you walk away from it you'll kick yourself for the rest of your life. I guess you know my opinion

[PatM]

Boxwood is said to be a bow wood but I could not tell you if that's what that is.

[stuckinthemud]

It could be, I really am not sure but I am inclined to say its not. Buxus is incredibly heavy, very, very dense, did you try digging your thumnail in as a hardness test?
Post the images to the arbtalk forum, the guys there are brilliant

[Del the cat]

I'd have thought it unlikely, AFIK box doesn't grow that quick or to that diameter... but on the other hand the colour looks right.... I reserve the right to be wrong
Del

[dylanholderman]

not sure if you guys have it over there (maybe planted as a ornamental) but that looks like the red mulberry growing all around where i live in Ohio, if it is mulberry its good bow wood.

[Pat B]

The boxwood I've see all had very white wood and is very dense and heavy. Never it with that definitely difference between sap wood and heartwood.
 It could be mulberry like Dylan suggested if it grows there.

[Hamish]

Not boxwood because bw is diffuse porous, the wood in the photo is ring porous.
Like others have mentioned, could well be mullberry.
Definitely bow worthy.

True boxwood, buxus  reputedly does make a good bow, as written in Gaston Phoebus's Book of the Hunt from the 15thC. Never actually seen one made from boxwood though. It would be physically tougher than yew, out for a hunt in a forest. 

[bownarra]

Definitely not Box. Ring porous not diffuse porous like Box. Colour is wrong, although of course it is hard to tell on an aged end....Box doesn't have sapwood either.

[bownarra]

Just zoomed in on the photo....its labernum
And most definately yes it is bow worthy. Labernum is in my top 5 bow woods.
Treat the wood like it is yew. Narrow and thick is the way with it. Chase the back down to 2 or 3 rings of sapwood.
It is also a stunningly beautiful wood that ages into a dark chocolately golden brown.

[DC]

Bonus! Or bownus!

[stuckinthemud]

Wow. Lucky or what!

[Tommy D]

Just zoomed in on the photo....its labernum
And most definately yes it is bow worthy. Labernum is in my top 5 bow woods.
Treat the wood like it is yew. Narrow and thick is the way with it. Chase the back down to 2 or 3 rings of sapwood.
It is also a stunningly beautiful wood that ages into a dark chocolately golden brown.

Wow - ok amazing. Many thanks for taking a closer look!  The larger pieces the bark is more textured than in the pictures I have seen - but the smaller branches seem to have bark similar to the images I have found. Initially I thought they were different trees but is this what you would expect?

I have heard great things about it as a bow wood.

Is it poisonous like people say?

Couple more pics of the best bit...





There is is a whole trees worth there - though some parts are quite bent - does it straighten with heat?

Also there is one lovely piece that is 30inches long - was thinking with a take down handle sleeve this might just be long enough to make a bow. 

[Tommy D]

Wow. Lucky or what!

Definitely pure luck! Wow!

[stuckinthemud]

The younger the bark the smoother it is. Yes it is as poisonous as people say.