Help me identify this hateful tree.

[jblyttle]

We (I do, for sure) expound on grain orientation and absence of runout specifically with regard to curved axe handles, but with walking/hiking sticks it seems to me advantageous to select for a straight round stick. Whether it gets uniformly thinned or not makes no difference. Circular grain is strongest of all (for non-strike/struck items) and runout on a straight limb is non-existent.
We all do need our projects though! And a chunk of Cherry will certainly look pretty.

The good news is that so far there is no cracking and there is no grain runout as these were split with a froe. When I shape then I'm going to follow the natural curves so it really shouldn't be an issue. I normally use beech saplings but this is what she wanted and I think it will work. I'll report results.

 

[mete]

You should actually be able to smell cherry from it's wood.
Here in the Catskill mtns there are huge numbers of hemlocks. They were used for the bark for tanning leather .Note towns named Tannersville etc. Hideswere brought from as far as South America. Other than that there is really no market for hemlock.Prices are so low as to not make a profit .The hemlock pin knots are very hard and easily damage planer knife edges ,so nobody bothers with the trees.

 

[300Six]

Here in the Catskill mtns there are huge numbers of hemlocks. They were used for the bark for tanning leather .Note towns named Tannersville etc. Hideswere brought from as far as South America. Other than that there is really no market for hemlock.Prices are so low as to not make a profit .The hemlock pin knots are very hard and easily damage planer knife edges ,so nobody bothers with the trees.

I hadn't thought of that! Hemlock is common here too but rarely seen as dressed lumber in stores and mills. For one thing it doesn't take nails very readily so I can see why deck and fence carpenters want nothing to do with it. Horse barns though often feature hemlock board stalls