Wood ID. Mystery wood

[Gsulfridge]

Here is some wood I found on a pallet at work. I can't ID it. It's darker than walnut and fairly dense.



Any ideas?

[TimPotter]

Was it part of the pallet?

I once made a nice long bow from a tree stake. The kind you get to keep new trees straight. It was in a bundle of over 150 oak stakes. But like the one you show it was darker and way heavier than the rest. I thought it may have been from the heart of an old tree. Although it could very well have been an un expected gift from the lumber yard.

[Gsulfridge]

Yes, it was part of the pallet. It really stood out because it was the only board that dark.

[TimPotter]

I'm thinking some sore of really dense oak. The side profile looks very much like the one I had.

[Don Case]

Does it float? I got my metal lathe from China and the pallet was made out of a wood that sank. A boatbuilder told me it was probably lignum vitae

[Pat B]

looks kind of like ipe but it is hard to tell. Does it have a scent to it if you scrape it?

[Gsulfridge]

It does not float. 

[Gsulfridge]

I thought it might be ipe, but I have never worked it before. It has a faint spice smell, maybe, but very subtle. Not a strong smell at all.

[Don Case]

http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/how-to-tell-genuine-lignum-vitae-from-argentine-lignum-vitae/

Down  the page it mentions a scent

[beetlebailey1977]

I am thinking ipe.

[Gsulfridge]

It does not float.

Correction! I meant to say that it does not sink. It does float. Don't think its lignum vitae.

[PatM]

It either is or isn't bow wood, so make a bow and find out.

[Joec123able]

Well if it floats its not ipe neither because I beleive ipe sinks

[Gsulfridge]

I wish it were a large enough piece to try, but it's only a half inch thick and two pieces 10" long. Overlays maybe.

[Blaflair2]

The end grain looks like it has black dots?