Black Ash or maybe even Ironwood??

[Beck955]

Anyone have input on Black Ash as longbow wood?? It grows super straight, usually near water.  Or Ironwood? I have lots of these on Northern Wisc. land. They truly can make your chain spark when sawing. These only grow about 3" in diameter so maybe not practical.

[KenH]

Black Ash is a great wood.   "Ironwood" is jus a local name for something, but I don't know what -- Black Locust?  Every place on the planet has an "Ironwood" -- the toughest, hardest wood in the locale.  If you can find the Latin name that would tell us a lot.

[Crooked Stic]

Hornbeam and Hop hornbeam Muscle wood here in IN. Dont get very big big and super dense
. Looks like flexed muscles under grayish bark' Makes good attitude adjustor or walking stick.

[Beck955]

Goog point KenH. Hornbeam would be a better tree name that narrows it down more. I like your description of it Crooked Stic.

Thanks for thumbs up on Black Ash - it would be a hoot making a selfbow out of something off our 40. I think Black Ash is about the best bet. Lots of red oak around too but my impression is that it's sub par.

[Pat B]

I think the iron wood you are talking about is Hop hornbeam. Hornbeam aka muscle wood is a totally different wood. I think another name for it is blue beach. HHB makes great selfbows, hornbeam doesn't.
 Red oak as you buy it at your local Lowe's, etc. isn't the same quality as red oak you cut and split yourself. A red oak stave is superior to the red oak boards you can buy at Lowe's.
 Some ashes are good selfbow woods but others are not. I'm not sure if black ash it a good one or a bad one as far as selfbows go. I've only used ash a couple of times and don't consider any of it good for selfbows, at least not for me. Historically it was used by Native Americans as bow wood. Ash does make good split wood baskets.