Help me identify this wood

[Ray Rogers]

A friend of mine just returned from deer hunting in Michigan, I think he said but it might have been Minnesota. While there he cut down this tree which was green and living. He said they were common in the area and the locals called them ironwood trees. Having heard me speak of ironwood he thought it might be useful for knife handles.

These trees don't seem to get much more than 4" or 5" in diameter. The wood seems dense and quite heavy for its volume (but, of course, it's still wet). The bark is very smooth and also very thin.

I never heard of ironwood growing in Michigan or Minnesota but, whatever it is, I figured one of you guys could recognize it:



The wood looks pretty plain right now, mostly white and without much visible grain or feature and I doubt it will ever look much better. Still, I'll dry some for a year or two and see if it can be anything more than firewood...

[Woodchuck Forge]

The color looks like holly. Even the bark and growth. I wish they had some of the leaves to look at. Does it have any distinct smell?. There is a large holly orchard right down the street from me and some of the trees are huge. If it is, then I was told that the wood needs to be kiln dried and stabilized quickly or it turns gray. Larry Davis at Gallery Hardwoods might be able to ID it better.

[brucegodlesky]

We call that ironwood here in Pa also. Grows in crick bottoms. I have some drying in the attic now intending to use it for hawk handles. It isn't holly tho.
The bark on the twigs has a very spicey odor. I have a stick of that cut to use while ginsang hunting, very strong and nurly enough to provide a good grip. Good foer whacking snake sinto submission.

[jrowe]

Ironwood is actually a Hophornbeam Tree. There are several varieties; western (southwest into mexico etc), eastern (northern US down to east Texas and back to east coast) and several other varieties. So if it came from Minnisota / Michigan its probally Eastern Hophornbeam.

[Woodchuck Forge]

Cool. Would like to see some of this finished.

[Ray Rogers]

Thanks guys! I suppose it must be Eastern Hophornbeam. I didn't figure it was really ironwood but from what several of you are saying I gather it is, just different from desert ironwood.

No particular smell to it as it is, but there were no leaves on it when I got it. It's a green tree so I imagine it will take a year or so to dry. I think it will be a good, strong wood but probably not much to look at. Time will tell...

[Andrew Garrett]

I've heard that ironwood takes more like 10 years to dry unless you kiln dry it.

[Crex]

I think JRowe is correct on the hophornbeam, best I can tell from the photo. Leaves would make it easier to identify. The hophornbeam and hornbeam species were often used for the "shoes" on wood box planes and often clock gears due to their toughness and density. Not particularly pretty, kind of plain, but very solid stuff.
There is also a different low canopy tree known as Swamp Alder with a very similar bark/surface texture and grows in the same habitat but is not as dense. It was also knicknamed iron wood, but for a different reason. If the outer bark was peeled back, the cambium layer would turn rust red like fresh rust. Not the same family or genius as the Hophornbeam.

[B.Finnigan]

Ironwood is a whole classification of woods. Here in Western WA we have madrona tree which is one of the ironwoods.

Acacia estrophiolata - Southern ironwood
Androstachys johnsonii ? Lebombo ironwood
Carpinus caroliniana ? American hornbeam
Casuarina equisetifolia ? Common ironwood from Australia
Casuarinaceae (she-oaks) in general
Chionanthus foveolatus ? Pock ironwood from South Africa
Choricarpia subargentea - Giant ironwood
Copaifera spp. - Diesel Tree, Kerosene Tree, Kupa'y, Cabismo or Copa?va
Erythrophleum chlorostachys Cooktown ironwood from Australia.
Eusideroxylon zwageri - Borneo ironwood
Guaiacum officinale ? Lignum vitae
Guaiacum sanctum ? Holywood
Holodiscus discolor - Creambrush
Hopea odorata - White thingan, Ceylon or Malabar ironwood
Krugiodendron ferreum ? Black Ironwood
Lyonothamnus floribundus ? Lyon tree
Lyonothamnus lyonii ? Catalina ironwood
Mesua ferrea ? Rose chestnut or Ceylon ironwood
Nestegis apetala - Coastal maire, Broad-leaved maire or Ironwood
Olea spp. ? Various olive trees
Olneya tesota ? Desert ironwood
Ostrya virginiana ? Hop hornbeam
Parrotia persica ? Persian ironwood
Tabebuia serratifolia ? Yellow poui

[Gary Mulkey]

I agree that it is a hornbeam. As with most extremely dense woods, it is difficult to dry without cracking. I would suggest that you seal the end grain with an oil base paint or varnish.

Gary

[EdgarFigaro]

Like Brent was pointing out, there's an ironwood nearly everywhere, it's just that it's all different species. Whatever was the hardest wood in a region would kinda get that name.
I kinda wanna say even Lignum Vitae has a nickname of ironwood.

[Shakudo]

The wood appears to be Carpinus caroliniana,a member of the alder or birch family.Locally called musclewood,it is much softer than the arizona ironwood most are familiar with for knife handles.

[chiger]

Yep, we have um down here in Kentucky too.

Bark, leaves and wood look a lot like Beach except not as gray and a lot smaller. We call it ironwood around here too. It's been so long I can't for the life of me remember the other names. GRRRR! Apparently memory is the first thing to go! ;~)

Ok, bugged me! Carpinus caroliniana (American Hornbeam) Sometimes called the Blue Beech! Had to look it up. Was drivin' me crazy I couldn't remember Blue Beech! But it's a Hornbeam not a beech.

At any rate, the wood is hard and durable. Gets used for handles, mallets and the like by primitive craftsmen a lot. Too small for much commercially though. But it is tough with tight straight grain. I've used it for tools before.

Because it's and under story and grows slow in moist soil it'll have a lot of water in it. And as was pointed out, if you intend to get anything usable out of it you need to seal the end grain and allow the moisture escape out the face grain. Paraffin wax is good for that. Heat up a block and dip the ends.

Just swipe a piece of your wife's she uses for candies and dip away. ;~0

chiger,

[Ray Rogers]

Thanks for the additional info. If you look closely in the picture you may be able to see that I had already sealed the ends with parafin. From what you guys have said, it may take longer to dry than I expected unless I try to hurry it along with an oven. Not too concerned about that as you have confirmed what I already thought - it's plain looking but tough and I don't do much with plain looking wood. But, I like the idea of handles for tools and will try to prepare some for that use too.....

[Wade Holloway]

I wonder if it would make a good little malet out of it. Hard enough to use but soft enough not to mar any surface?