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Author Topic: Anone recognize these twigs?  (Read 2783 times)

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Offline DuBois

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Anone recognize these twigs?
« on: May 25, 2014, 07:28:07 pm »
many trunks coming from one center and has reddish wine colored smooth bark on larger trunks. Maybe 20 feet tall and shaped like a big shrub overall.

Plan to get some if it is worth it. Thought I'd check here since I can't find anything like it. I thought the leaves looked like some kinda dogwood?

Thanks for any help.
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Offline Crogacht

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Re: Anone recognize these twigs?
« Reply #1 on: May 25, 2014, 07:31:43 pm »
It KIND OF looks like an alder of some description... but I'm about 15% sure :D
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Offline DuBois

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Re: Anone recognize these twigs?
« Reply #2 on: May 25, 2014, 07:39:26 pm »
Just found it online-basswood :(
I have never seen a basswood bow on here so I assume it is not good wood.
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Offline Crogacht

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Re: Anone recognize these twigs?
« Reply #3 on: May 25, 2014, 07:45:49 pm »
Well I know alder is not good for bows, and basswood seems even less dense, so you might be right :P
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Offline DarkSoul

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Re: Anone recognize these twigs?
« Reply #4 on: May 25, 2014, 07:53:26 pm »
Linden or basswood, in the Tilia genus.
Not good for bows, not for arrows...but it's good carving wood :)
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Offline Slackbunny

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Re: Anone recognize these twigs?
« Reply #5 on: May 25, 2014, 08:40:53 pm »
Quote from: DarkSoul on May 25, 2014, 07:53:26 pm
Linden or basswood, in the Tilia genus.
Not good for bows, not for arrows...but it's good carving wood :)

And quite valuable if I remember correctly. The father in law cut one years ago and said he got quite a premium price for it.
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Offline bubby

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Re: Anone recognize these twigs?
« Reply #6 on: May 25, 2014, 08:44:04 pm »
it's not good carving wood, it's great carving wood
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Offline swamp monkey

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Re: Anone recognize these twigs?
« Reply #7 on: May 25, 2014, 11:03:19 pm »
basswood inner bark makes a beautiful cordage.  I haven't seen any authority say it it would make a good bow string, but the cords are neat and aesthetically pleasing to the eye. 
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Offline BL

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Re: Anone recognize these twigs?
« Reply #8 on: May 26, 2014, 12:43:17 am »
I've bought a thin plank of basswood from the hobby shop for some project or another years ago.  It feels about one step up from balsa.
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Offline Wiley

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Re: Anone recognize these twigs?
« Reply #9 on: May 26, 2014, 03:19:01 am »
Sounds like a coppiced basswood. If you know any pipe makers I hear it makes for good pipe stems, the pithy core makes them easy to hollow out.
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Offline zenart

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Re: Anone recognize these twigs?
« Reply #10 on: May 26, 2014, 06:24:18 am »
Basswood = Premium Carver's Wood. Especially for beginning carvers.
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Offline dwardo

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Re: Anone recognize these twigs?
« Reply #11 on: May 26, 2014, 11:02:09 am »
New leaves are good eating too ;)
We call it lime in the UK. Great carving, great sting from the inner bark which is strong and easy to prep. Goof carving wood but pretty useless for anything else.
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Offline nakedfeet

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Re: Anone recognize these twigs?
« Reply #12 on: May 29, 2014, 03:13:23 pm »
Basswood. 100% certain.

Good for bow drills. Bad for bows.

Leaves are edible when they're young! And pretty tasty.
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Offline DuBois

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Re: Anone recognize these twigs?
« Reply #13 on: May 30, 2014, 01:25:37 am »
Thanks for all the replies  ;)
Wish I had some carving skills  :(
Now that I know what it is I see it all over the place.
At least I know what I will feed the kids next spring  >:D
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Offline Sidmand

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Re: Anone recognize these twigs?
« Reply #14 on: May 30, 2014, 10:02:41 am »
I haven't used it, but basswood is highly sought after by the bushcraft folk for making firedrills and cordage.  Maybe you could cut down a couple and throw it in a bugout bag for fire making purposes?
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