morphing heartwood?

[benjamin]

I just got a stave that was cut recently that i was told is mulbery. When I cut into the heartwood, the wood is a greasy looking purple, kinda like someone rubbed honey over the wood. After just a minute or two though, the honey covered purple turns into a dull, pale purple; kinda like wood thats been exposed to the elements for years. Is this normal for mulbery?

[Hillbilly]

Mulberry heartwood is usually a brownish-olive yellow, sometimes almost osage-colored. Wood varies from individual tree to tree, though. Summer-cut sourwood often turns that purplish color, as does persimmon.

[benjamin]

the heart wood also has a strange smell, kinda like red oak sometimes can but not as strong. Almost like a sweet smell mixed with dry dung... yeah, I really can't place the smell, anyway the stuff feels heavy enough. I tried splitting it to get two staves for the price of one... it took at least TEN minutes of constant pounding on my hatchet with my hammer just to get the wood to split (actually I was huffing and puffing sparatically). And I don't mean in two, I mean just to make the hatchet go through once. I spent about half an hour of pounding to get the two sides free. Luckily both sides are useful but dang, I'm starting to think this stuff is Ironwood; and it's still pretty green.     When it dries, I'm planning on trying that cherokee replica I always wanted to make. I'll lecha know unless I die trying to get a shaving off : (         Any chance it could be Eastern Hornbeam?

[Hillbilly]

Any chance of posting a pic? What does the bark look like? Eastern Hornbeam has smooth gray bark, with a bunch of fluted muscle-like dips and humps in the wood. Mulberry splits really easily unless it's knotty and gnarly. You may have a piece of some sort of elm from the interlocking grain/hard to split thing, but the color, fading, and smell sound like black walnut. Walnut usully splits really easily, though. Pics would help a lot with ID.

[recurve shooter]

yeah, lets see. i might have to go steal my grandpa's mullberry tree.

[benjamin]

Sorry, the camera's not working. May be time to get another one.

[benjamin]

the stuff's pretty dense whatever it is. Thanks for all of the help. Sorry I couldn't do anything to make it easier.