Have I identified this tree correctly? Splitting it was quite an ordeal; ouch! Hop hornbeam has a high BTU, but I don't look forward to harvesting more of these...
Nice find! I've never had any in my stacks yet, but the bark looks right... I'll defer to others on the ID.
Yes sir it is,at least that is what i call it. I have probably 100 on my property most of which are 6 inch minus, maybe 10 aorund a foot in diameter. Hard hard stuff, and needs the three year drying cycle. Enjoy!
Never had any either. Looks like the love child of elm and maple by the looks of that grain...not fun
Around these parts it is known as ironwood. Never grows to be a very big tree but definitely rightly named.
That is most definitely hop hornbeam. One of my favorites for burning, although it never gets very big so it takes a lot of effort to collect a decent amount in the stacks. I save bigger pieces for the woodshop - specifically tool handles.
I have one of these that might have a 12 ft log around a foot in diameter. Not sure if there is any value in it, so I haven’t dropped it yet.
Welcome from the lurker shadows Wrad One year, one post. Guess you're the quiet type. Well, catch up with ya next year. Welcome aboard theburtman
Yes, we call it the same here. That's definitely ironwood/ hophorn beam. I love that stuff. Most of it I get that size I just leave it in rounds. I'll take every "stick" of out I can find.
I cut a small one down (handrail size), skinned it and set it in the shop for a year or so to be used as a hand rail on a staircase. It may have been over a year drying but I cut it to length, sanded & put many layers of "spar oil" on it, and proceeded to try to install it on your normal metal hardware handrail brackets. After breaking off several screws including metal roofing type that I find pretty tuff, that hornbeam pole turned into a bunch of picaroon handles and a few walking sticks. It is one tuff wood, I understand it is the best for replacement "pitman" rod on old sickle bar mowers.
Those would be great for a zombie apocalypse too. Those look very nice, that ironwood would be a great handle for any tool.
