If you use bodark for hammer handles it is important that you follow the growth rings and perpindicular wood fibers for the least runout possible. That pretty much requires inspection of a piece of wood before purchase to get the straighest grain( good luck). Bodark grows naturally around here(red river area texas side) and maybe 1 in 20 trees have wood that grow straight enough, with no knots, and no twists for even a hand hammer length of wood. Its probably 1 in 100 or more for axe or bow length peice of wood.
I personally have found 2 dead trees that i havested that were somewhat workable, all the rest over the last 2 years i passed on. There is 1 living tree out of hundreds with 2.5 foot diameter trunk that i cant touch as its on someone elses property, even then a whole tree coming down for the single 5 to 5.5 foot section of one branch(1ft diameter) that is straight isnt worth it yet.
