[Bandaid]

Last fall when I was out hunting I found a patch of diamond willow with extra large trunks and huge diamonds. I plan on cutting out the diamonds and carving them into nut bowls. The colors in the wood are exceptional. From what I've read it's fairly rare to get ahold of such large pieces.
Besides using the willow for hiking sticks and such, a cross section of a larger piece makes a nice base for mounting other carvings because of the color and also the irregular shapes. On smaller branches I've carved wood spirits and made them into key rings.
You will find that the hardness of diamond willow varies even in the same piece, but it's beautiful wood, fun to carve and no two pieces are alike.

[AlArchie]

Bandaid, you're very lucky! I just got done peeling what I thought was a great piece of DW and it turned out to be a nice WILLOW stick! One or two diamonds, and in the wrong places. I'll make it work, though, as I won't waste any wood that I cut. I can see a good woodspirit in this one; one with an evil twist!!!

Later next week, I think I'll head out to the woods again, before all the snow is gone, and hunt up a few more sticks. Found some nice Ironwood sticks (hophornbeam) and started them yesterday; now to dry them for a while!


Sounds like you found a great stand, there!
Al

[Bandaid]

Hi Al...yeh I was pretty pleased with my diamond willow find. I'm curious about the ironwood you mentioned. I always thought it was a wood that came from across the pond. 'Duh' Is the wood as hard as the name implies? I've seen pictures of some very impressive carvings made from it.

[AlArchie]

There are several species known as Ironwood. The stuff we have around here is eastern hophornbeam, and yes, it is as hard and tough as it sounds. It doesn't grow very large (actually it just grows slow), a 60 foot tree with a 1 ft. diameter is a huge one. It's wood was used for tool handles, wagon hubs and spokes. There is a European ironwood, also, but I am not familiar with that.

A similar species in the east is the Eastern Hornbeam (no hops), that is sometimes called muscle wood because of it's toughness and sinewey looking bark.

It's about as hard to carve as red oak, but makes good stout walking sticks, that are really made for walking. Saplings look much like birch or cherry with a brownish-red bark, marked with light gray to white flecks. Much over an inch and a half in diameter and the bark becomes dark gray and gnarled looking, almost like its braided. The wood is usually straight and the small twigs come off easily.

When growing the trees are similar to elm and the leaves are quite similar to elm or birch. They are in the birch family.

Al

[Bandaid]

Thanks for the info. Al...it sounds like you have as much fun as I do working with 'found wood'.

[AlArchie]

Sounds like it; but it's almost more fun finding it than it is working with it! aww 50/50 anyways!

Al