Help me ID this wood please

[Dave Cullen]

A friend gave me this plank about 10 years ago. He didn't know what it was, other than it was a tree that he had milled with his band mill. The lighting in my shop is flourescent so the colors might be off a bit. It's reddish brown with a cream colored streak. Very hard and heavy. There are some cracks that I'll have to deal with but I'm hoping to get a clear piece big enough to turn a mallet.

From what I've found on the web it looks like Kingwood, except that doesn't grow here in Southern New England. Anybody take a guess?

The endgrain view was with camera flash, the others are shop lights (flourescent).

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[Todd Burch]

I was going to guess rosewood or cocobolo - but I suspect they wouldn't be growing locally to you either.

Almond or olive maybe?

I'm stumped! (no pun intended)

[Mark Bolton]

Just a wild guess, and likely wrong, but it kind of looks like cocobolo?

[Jeff Johnson]

I'm going with Dogwood.

[Jeff Johnson]

It'll make a great mallet - it's what I use.

[Danny Hamsley]

I do not believe it to be a domestic hardwood.

[dirk martin]

That first pic sure looks like Zircote to me.
But that would mean your friend didn't mill it.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

It is not almond, dogwood, or olive- all would be lighter color. It is not zirocote unless the guy imported it, and also the grain structure does not look like zirocote. Not cocobolo, which has more yellow and purple and wouldn't be growing in NE.

I would suggest Black Walnut. It can often have red tones. Look at this guy's image: http://randydspence.hubpages.com/hub/black-walnut-lumber

How does it smell? Walnut is sweet-smelling.

[Dave Cullen]

It has no smell at all. I chopped a piece off the end, and got better lighting for these pics below. My helper is there for size comparison.

The Dogwood suggestion has some merit other than the color. Pics I've seen are lighter, sort of pinkish. It's a small tree though, as this one was, and it grows well around here. And the wood is hard and heavy.

It's definitely not Walnut. I also have a chunk of locally grown Walnut that the same friend gave me, I'll get a side-by-side pic of that next to this one. My friend never bought wood - he had a side business cutting trees and milling them into lumber on the spot. This piece has to be a local species.

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[Todd Burch]

That flat grain shot does look like walnut, but the end grain shot does not continue that thought. The jagged "purple/pink" grain lines are VERY interesting, and the discoloration (patina) makes it appear as if oil, or time, has really darkened the face grain and top edge and cracks of the end grain.

[Todd Burch]

I would suggest Black Walnut. It can often have red tones. Look at this guy's image: http://randydspence.hubpages.com/hub/black-walnut-lumber


I would venture to say that picture has been color-modified, quite a bit. Higher contrast and a lot of saturation.

[Todd Burch]

Any kind of "iron woods" grow up in your area? The sapwood / heartwood contrast is high. Seems too high to be walnut.

[peter gagliardi]

Bocote? Maybe

[Herr Dalbergia]

Cocobolo, Kingwood, Brazilian Rosewood. for sure not Ziricote or Bocotoe. cheers, alex

[Doug Herzberg]

I've seen a lot of Black Walnut and none of it looks like that. I don't know what you have, though.

[Erik Loza]

"Black Walnut" was my initial reaction but now, not so sure.

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[Todd Burch]

OK, I'll donate $5 towards getting a professional to ID this. I looked at the woods database, and Lignum Vitae, Texas Ebony, Pistachio and Manzanita might be other candidates (notwithstanding it's assumed origin).

Todd

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Wow, once you cut into it, it sure looks like cocobolo now. I have a piece of walnut with a very purple hue like that. Could still be walnut. It will be interesting to find out for sure.

[Dave Cullen]

Well, after searching the wood ID sites I've decided that this is something I bought a dozen years ago and it somehow ended up on my "air dry for 5 years before use" rack, along with the wood that my friend gave me. Nothing domestic seems to come close. I'm semi convinced it's Kingwood. It's destined to be a mallet head.

Thanks for the inputs.

[Cody Colston]

I always find the guesses to be highly entertaining.