[sabre500]

Hello Everyone, i bought an acre of land which had a few old wood posts on, i cut on up, can someone help me in identifying what wood it is. Thx

 

[Acercanto]

I'm pretty sure that's Black Locust. It's commonly used for fence posts because it's hard and rot resistant. It's good wood.

Acer

 

[mdntrdr]

I'm pretty sure that's Black Locust. It's commonly used for fence posts because it's hard and rot resistant. It's good wood.

Acer

+1 :smile:

 

[sabre500]

Thank you Acer, i have looked all over the internet trying to identify it. Yes it is hard wood and seems easy to work with. There must be something i can make out of it.

 

[Paarker]

I made my work bench out of it. Very heavy indeed.

 

[TheWoodsman]

Yep,probably locust. Osage orange is also commonly found in fence rows and as fence posts though the wood is a brighter yellow. They are two of the best for long term use as posts.

 

[DerlC]

Yep,probably locust. Osage orange is also commonly found in fence rows and as fence posts though the wood is a brighter yellow. They are two of the best for long term use as posts.

Yep, I agree with TheWoodsman, Osage orange is also known in Texas as Bois d'arc. Since you (sabre500) and I are from Texas most of our wooden fence post are Mesquite, Oak, Cedar or Bois d'arc. What I see in your pictures looks like Osage Orange (Bois d'arc).

I've got a question for TheWoodsman or anyone else that wants to chime in; Does Black Locust, up north, grow with thorns on it?:blink: It does in Texas. When you find one, here in Texas, it has wicked looking thorns on it some of them may be up to 4 inches long. I'd hate to have to cut one down with a chain saw! ! !:thumbdown: Ouch ! !

 

[TheWoodsman]

Yep, I agree with TheWoodsman, Osage orange is also known in Texas as Bois d'arc. Since you (sabre500) and I are from Texas most of our wooden fence post are Mesquite, Oak, Cedar or Bois d'arc. What I see in your pictures looks like Osage Orange (Bois d'arc).

I've got a question for TheWoodsman or anyone else that wants to chime in; Does Black Locust, up north, grow with thorns on it?:blink: It does in Texas. When you find one, here in Texas, it has wicked looking thorns on it some of them may be up to 4 inches long. I'd hate to have to cut one down with a chain saw! ! !:thumbdown: Ouch ! !

Honey Locust has the big thorns on the trunk. Black Locust has the little spines/thorns/"prickles" which are at the base of the leaf. According to the wikipedia maps, it really doesn't show black locust in Texas but it shows honey locust all over east Texas. This makes me wonder if you aren't talking about honey locust.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robinia_pseudoacacia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey_locust

 

[tc65]

I've got a question for TheWoodsman or anyone else that wants to chime in; Does Black Locust, up north, grow with thorns on it?:blink: It does in Texas. When you find one, here in Texas, it has wicked looking thorns on it some of them may be up to 4 inches long. I'd hate to have to cut one down with a chain saw! ! !:thumbdown: Ouch ! !

As Woodsman pointed out, it is honey locust with the large thorns. I've been fighting with friends for years trying to convince them that it is not black locust with the large thorns.

BTW: I thought in Texas everything was bigger - only 4 inch long thorns - I laugh at your thorns:laughing:. I've got timber filled with lots of honey locust and on mature trees it is not uncommon to have 12"+ thorns.

I also cut lots of it for firewood - been doing so for 30 years. You don't start with a chainsaw, you start with a machete to trim enough thorns off so you can get close with a saw. After it's dropped, same sequence - walk up and down the trunk with a machete trimming thorns and then chain saw.

 

[DerlC]

Honey Locust has the big thorns on the trunk. Black Locust has the little spines/thorns/"prickles" which are at the base of the leaf. According to the wikipedia maps, it really doesn't show black locust in Texas but it shows honey locust all over east Texas. This makes me wonder if you aren't talking about honey locust.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robinia_pseudoacacia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey_locust

OH, Ok, I had my Locust's mixed up.:thumbsup:I might have done that once before in my life.:blink:Oops!!:smile:
Thanks TheWoodsman for straighten me out. I have seen a few black locust in east Texas but not many. However I have seen quite a few Honey Locust in east Texas.
Sorry for the mixup.

 

[DerlC]

As Woodsman pointed out, it is honey locust with the large thorns. I've been fighting with friends for years trying to convince them that it is not black locust with the large thorns.

BTW: I thought in Texas everything was bigger - only 4 inch long thorns - I laugh at your thorns:laughing:. I've got timber filled with lots of honey locust and on mature trees it is not uncommon to have 12"+ thorns.

I also cut lots of it for firewood - been doing so for 30 years. You don't start with a chainsaw, you start with a machete to trim enough thorns off so you can get close with a saw. After it's dropped, same sequence - walk up and down the trunk with a machete trimming thorns and then chain saw.

OK, I think I've got it right now. Honey Locust with large thorns and Black Locust with small thorns.
You are right. Everything is BIGGER in Texas. Well anything that matters, that is.:laughing:Thorns Don't Matter! !:laughing::laughing:

"You don't start with a chainsaw, you start with a machete" End Quote: Yep, that's how I would start too.:yes::yes:

 

[BassBlaster]

I dont think you can identify based solely on thorns. Not all honey locust has thorns. Im not familiar with black locust at all so I cant speak to that but Ive dealt with quite a bit of honey locust. Ive yet to deal with one that has any thorns at all allthough I know some do.

 

[Acercanto]

Yeah, same here. I've never worked on a Honey Locust that had Thorns. The leaves and bark are also different. Black has very thick sort of corky bark, while Honey has thin curly, very hard bark (curly like birch bark, but very hard). Both locust leaves are compound, but Black leaflets are much larger and rounder, about quarter size a lot of the time. Honey leftlets are usually very small (1/2" or so long) and are much more elongated.

Hope that helps,
Acer

 

[tc65]

You guys are right, not all honey locust has thorns. There are quite a few varieties that are used as ornamental/urban trees and none of them have thorns. I'd guess there are some regional differences in them as well - at least in "wild" populations. Around here in timber situations they all have thorns. When I lived in Wisconsin, it was rare to see them with thorns.

 

[sabre500]

Thanks for all your input,yoy guys have a great website going and glad i found it.:icon_smile:
Photo shows what the posts look like, having a fun time cutting them up.Second photo shows a piece i used on side of box to see how it would come up.

 

[DerlC]

Honey Locust has the big thorns on the trunk. Black Locust has the little spines/thorns/"prickles" which are at the base of the leaf. According to the wikipedia maps, it really doesn't show black locust in Texas but it shows honey locust all over east Texas. This makes me wonder if you aren't talking about honey locust.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robinia_pseudoacacia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey_locust

Hey Guys, let's not "go out on a limb" here talking about other types of Locust. The ones that TheWoodsman listed in the links above are the only ones we were talking about.:yes: