Snakes Osage Staves/Trees

[ssrhythm]

I love these snakey osage builds, but I don't know what to look for in a standing tree when it comes to getting these beautiful snakes staves.

Are the trees themselves snakey and bendy with the bark following the bendy areas?

Are the trees fairly straight with the bark (which supposedly follows the grain of the wood underneath) snaking back and forth? 

Are you looking for a section of straight Osage with grain that does not suggest twisting grain but has a bunch of limbs?  This seems most reasonable as the grain would snake around those protruding limbs and the staves would split around them..but again, IDK. 

Just curious if the snakey-bow folks are out looking for these types of trees (and what you are looking for) or if these staves are just pleasant surprises y'all are running into while processing your trees.

[Pat B]

The bark will let you know if the wood is snakey. it will also tell you if the wood has a propeller twist to it.

[Burnsie]

I don't seem to have any trouble finding staves with snake and character. Finding nice real straight stuff is a much bigger challenge.

[bentstick54]

Like Pat said. The bark will usually tell you about what to expect the grain of the wood underneath will do, including twist. I try to find the straightest Osage tree I can, with the straightest bark, and as few limbs as I can. Even with that I end up with plenty of mildly snakey staves, staves that develop some mild twist, and most have their share of hidden knots to work around.
Like Burnsie said, the hard ones to find are the straight, clean ones.

[ssrhythm]

I'm with you there.  I have ended up with a few mildly snakey staves from my best effort straight trees.  I look for straight bark on straight trees and avoid the spiraling bark trees.  I guess next time I go to harvest, I'll look for snakes bark that's not spiraling.  I might try to find the funkiest looking section I can find and cut it as well just to see how it will split out.  Thanks for the replies.