Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Redbow on May 25, 2023, 02:42:33 pm
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I picked up a cut piece of wood from the local park thinking it was hazel since mostly hazel trees grow in that park. I debarked it and left it overnight and now the entire piece is reddish in color. I foolishly went to inspect it without gloves on and now my hands burn (ouch!). I never heard of hazel doing this, so I'm wondering if this is really hazel or something else. This is located in a park in Mediterranean Europe (not sure if location helps since it could be an "exotic" wood planted in the park). Any ideas? It looks like an ordinary hard whitewood to me. I can get better photos tomorrow. This is some leftover ivy on the first photo.
https://ibb.co/k2wN8mn (https://ibb.co/k2wN8mn)
https://ibb.co/0VNxD2P (https://ibb.co/0VNxD2P)
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Got any leaves to show?
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Unfortunately not, all I remember is that the leaves were similar to hazel
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Can you locate the local parks office for info?
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First pic looks like some sort of mulberry. Leaf matches. Bark not perfectly, but gets close, so still probably mulberry.
But if no reddish heartwood, not mulberry.
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I have had summer cut witch hazel turn my hands orange while debarking. NA native species, would be an exotic near you. I dont see enough regular hazel around my parts to know the leaf shape.
Mike
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An update: went back to the park to take a better look, I am pretty sure this is black poplar. There is actual hazel nearby, but the tree they cut was poplar. I assume poplar does not make a good bow, right?
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I’ve never worked it myself and it’s pretty soft stuff I hear that poplar wood.