Mystery Wood?

[Jon Lanier]

Does anyone have an idea of what this might be? I thought it might be Ambrosia Maple. But now I'm not sure what it is. I'm going to probably get about 6 good pen blanks out of it... thought I should know what it is.
Thanks.

http://img381.imageshack.us/img381/9817/52000020kf5.jpg

http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/1073/84750287de6.jpg

http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/7289/81020624ci9.jpg

[Alex Shanku]

Hmmm...chestnut burl??

[Sam Yerardi]

It almost looks like maple burl. Is that a radial cut from the log?

[Keith Starosta]

I saw something that looked similar to that at Woodcraft the other day. They labeled it as Big Leaf Maple. Maybe that's it...

- Keith

[Thomas Knapp]

It is a burl of some sort. Since burl distorts the typical grain patterns it is hard to tell what kind. From the color it could be big leaf maple there is a lot of figured big leaf maple available from woodturning suppliers. I would guess it is some sort of maple. The color rules out the darker wood species burls. Where did the wood come from? The location of it's origin helps identify wood. If you gathered it your self do you have any of the leaves?

[Jack Mincey]

If I was just looking at the wood I'd guess maple, but with the bark it looks like it could be what I call black birch that grows around Western N.C. where I live. It can have some nice burls at times. Smell it and see if it has a birch smell. Here is a bowl I turned in the fall from a birch burl.
Jack
http://usera.imagecave.com/flyrod444/100_0455-copy.jpg

[Jim Becker]

It's some form of burl. My guess would be maple.

[Mike Dauphinee]

I think you are gonna get a better guess when you cut it. The smell test will give more information. Like the others said, hard to read grain on a burl, that leaves smell, weight (to an limit), color as things to help. It does look a lot like BL maple though.