« previous next »
Pages: [1] 2

Author Topic: Anone recognize these twigs?  (Read 2962 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline DuBois

  • Member
  • Posts: 2,020
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.
Logged

Offline Crogacht

  • Member
  • Posts: 455
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
Logged

Offline DuBois

  • Member
  • Posts: 2,020
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.
Logged

Offline Crogacht

  • Member
  • Posts: 455
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
Logged

Offline DarkSoul

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,315
    • Orion Bows
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 :)
Logged
"Sonuit contento nervus ab arcu."
Ovid, Metamorphoses VI-286

Offline Slackbunny

  • Member
  • Posts: 866
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.
Logged

Offline bubby

  • Member
  • Posts: 11,054
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
Logged
failure is an option, everyone fails, it's how you handle it that matters.
The few the proud the 27🏹

Offline swamp monkey

  • Member
  • Posts: 784
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. 
Logged

Offline BL

  • Member
  • Posts: 71
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.
Logged

Offline Wiley

  • Member
  • Posts: 182
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.
Logged

Offline zenart

  • Member
  • Posts: 115
Re: Anone recognize these twigs?
« Reply #10 on: May 26, 2014, 06:24:18 am »
Basswood = Premium Carver's Wood. Especially for beginning carvers.
Logged
Huntington Beach, CA … there's no trees here but we do have lumber yards.

Offline dwardo

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,456
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.
Logged

Offline nakedfeet

  • Member
  • Posts: 135
    • AJD Archery & Outdoors
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.
Logged

Offline DuBois

  • Member
  • Posts: 2,020
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
Logged

Offline Sidmand

  • Member
  • Posts: 302
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?
Logged
"Criticism is something we can avoid easily by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing." --> Aristotle
Pages: [1] 2
« previous next »