osage orange.

[FIT BMX]

Do any of you use much Osage orange? I'm in KS, and cut a lot of it to heat the house with so I have a lot!

[Sharon of the Dell]

I haven't used it yet, but I did some wood trading with a wood turner back east and he's sending me some!
He turns beautiful bowls out of it.

[Dan Wegiel]

Its almost as hard as ROCK and the grain usually runs every which way! I've carved a couple pieces out of it but very tough to work with hand tools, I'm sure power would help.

Dan

[BrandantR]

I recently bought some to make knife handles out of, but haven't had a chance to use it yet. Very pretty wood though.

[upforcarving]

I have used it for bowls as well. It is also often used for wooden hand planes because it does not move very much.

[FIT BMX]

I've carved a bent wood bird out of it a about a year ago. It bends nice but you have to boil it forever, and it's still very hard to bend. I have a 5' branch in a flower bed, the grain is so twisted it looks like whirlpools in spots.

[Mark Dellinger]

It is all I have growing on my farm for the most part. It is great for burning not so great for carving. It does carve up nice with power, but dust is bad. I heard that the dust can be dangerous. It is a very beautiful wood once stained. I have done some walking sticks out of some young trees, they weren't too bad.

BRandon will love the look for the knife hadnles if the grain looks anything like some of it that I have worked with.

Safe Carving and God Bless,

Mark

[torpidhummer]

I used this wood for making some of the best hunting long bows ever,it is not easy to work but fabulous wood for bows.
Oscar

[FIT BMX]

I made a bow when I was about 14 it went really good, but the stave had a knot. I tried to work with it but, it broke. I plan to try again some time, it's a lot of fun!

[dogcatcher]

I turn a lot of Osage, but I don't carve it. For me it is too hard, maybe power carving, but again not this old man.