Driftwood? (Pictures added)

[Stefan]

My guess is meranti or merbau, looks to me like firewood,..

The only hardwood that has a pinkish colour and that I know is a good bow wood is massaranduba. This wood is definitly not massarandubba.

Ofcourse you could give it a try maybe testing it before gluing and using it as a bellywood

[DarkSoul]

Just looking at the pics I'd be inclined to say live oak but it's purely a guess.Ron

Definitely not. This is clearly no species of oak (it's not ring porous), and it's highly unlikely the wood comes drifting all the way from the other end of the big ocean: USA.

Was the wood a round log section or branch? Or could it have dropped from a ship, which is likely if the wood was squared/processed?

Looks like firewood to me...or maybe it's useful for tipoverlays and handles. I would advice a simple bend test, though. That'll tell you all you need to know.

[mikekeswick]

I know what it is because i've just been given a sample board from a wood dealers. It's used in marine constructions because it is very very rot resistant.........unfortunately the name escapes me but i'm phoning them up tomorrow to get confirmation of the name.
The sg is the same as mine,the interlocking grain and the colours. They had it in massive 18 x 9 inch x 20ft boards and these were mainly light purple with blue and yellow areas running through it. Any checks are likely to be small and shallow.
I'm itching to get it tried out but time isn't on my side at the moment.

[JW_Halverson]

Sorain reminds me of the Asian wood they refer to as "rubberwood".  You see a lot of inexpensive furniture made from it.  But I am no dendrologist, just a s.w.a.g. on my part. 

Back it with a thin strip of hickory and get to tillering when the moisture content gets down to 8%, I say!

[Bryce]

I want to say firewood....

Bend test it bro.

[rossfactor]

Teak was a wood that was used very frequently for ship building.  Heavy and hard. 

I wonder what years in Salt water would do to the compression strength of wood?  Might try backing it with something?  If you wanna make a bow, I always say give it a try in the name of research.

Gabe

[Bryce]

Teak was a wood that was used very frequently for ship building.  Heavy and hard. 

I always say give it a try in the name of research.
Gabe

Amen!

[Pat B]

I'd say mahogany too. I thought oak at first bet the closer I looked the more it looks like mahogany. The pink color could be natural or from minerals, etc it absorbed from the salt water.

[mikekeswick]

Trust me this is it! http://www.pacemercieca.com.mt/woodcategories/img/ekki_1299075873.jpg

It's called Ekki - lophria alata and it is a West African dense hardwood

[mikekeswick]

It's too dense for all the other woods that people have mentioned.
I've just glued up a hickory backed bow from my board...we'll see how it does.

[gutpile]

I'd have to agree with Danny..Mahogany

[DarkSoul]

I'd have to agree with Danny..Mahogany

There's at least five species across the globe called "mahogany". Not to forget all kinds of local woods with vernacular names including the term "mahogany". There is no single mahogany species. So what species are you saying it is?
The color is off for the true mahoganies Swietenia. It resembles Khaya mahogany just a little bit. But the main thing: measured SG was over 0,80. No way this is 'mahogany', just for that single reason! Please don't create confusion by just yelling "Mahogany!" to every reddish-brown tropical wood you see.

I agree with Mike. Azobé (Lophira alata) fits the story and the pictures perfectly. Found in marine environment, high SG, accurate color, the grain matches the pics, interlocked grain...

[JackCrafty]

The driftwood should work fine in compression.  Eskimo bows made from driftwood were usually cable-backed.  The Eskimo knew what they were doing.

[turmoiler]

Thanks to everybody for your answers. Among all the woods mentioned here rubberwood is the one that ressembles the most, I'm sure it is not a common wood and I have seen mohagany and I'm sure it is not. I think it is not ekki because that wood is too dark and too heavy. But there are so many kinds of woods...
What I'm going to do is to try to make a backed bow with oak or maple (there is no hickory here) and see if it works, just for the science

[mikekeswick]

The fresh cut boards of it are exactly the same colour as yours with exactly the same 'patches' of colur.Trust me thats what it is.
No way is it any 'mahogany' as Darksoul explains above.