What type of wood is this?

[BearPawBlacksmithing]

Here is a pic of a knife a completed today..
https://imgur.com/zMf8N1A
Can anyone guess what type of wood I used on the handle? Hint, it is from a bush that grows wild here in northern Montana and is extremely hard with about 25 growth rings an inch.

 

[Kevin McGovern]

Fire bush?

 

[BearPawBlacksmithing]

Fire bush?

No. I can't recall ever seeing Fire bush

 

[Mahoney]

I'll guess a member of the rose family like Hawthorn or mountain mahogany

 

[Jonathans]

Looks like Mesquite but its not a bush

 

[Horsewright]

Don't know but like it.

 

[Robert Erickson]

Reminds me of ironwood, but in Montana, I don't know?

 

[Jason Fry]

I'm going to guess a dental floss bush. Did you ride up to it on your pygmy pony and pick it with zirconium-encrusted tweezers?

 

[120 Acres]

Choke Cherry.

 

[Kevin McGovern]

No. I can't recall ever seeing Fire bush

you don't know what you're missing.

 

[T.Knotts]

Caragana or sage.. the only two bushes that I know of that thrive in the MT plains.

Edit:. But whatever it is I like it

 

[BearPawBlacksmithing]

I'll guess a member of the rose family like Hawthorn or mountain mahogany

Mahoney, You win! It is Hawthorn. Here is a picture of a set of scales I just cut.

 

[BearPawBlacksmithing]

This link should work. https://imgur.com/a/Tw6JY

 

[T.Knotts]

I like it that a lot. How hard of a wood is that?

 

[Mahoney]

Is there a prize?

It is amazing how many species of trees and shrubs that most folks would not think to harvest for lumber have beautiful wood hidden in their trunks.

The rose family is full of species with very attractively figured wood. I'll admit I had to do a little research about the native shrubs of northern Montana to figure out which species were most likely.

 

[BearPawBlacksmithing]

I like it that a lot. How hard of a wood is that?

It is actually quite hard with about 25 growth rings an inch. It weights the same as water.

 

[Jonathans]

Nice figure on that stuff