Desert Ironwood (Olneya Tesota) The Real Thing !

[Az Ironwood]

Hi folks,

I have Desert Ironwood for sale for knife and pistol handles and grips, I have it in Burl and Figured, see my wood on Ebay under seller name 60joseph2005 or email me shadetree_1@hotmail.com there is an _ between the e and the 1 in my address.

Thanks !!!

Joe

[hidepounder]

Hi folks,

I have Desert Ironwood for sale for knife and pistol handles and grips, I have it in Burl and Figured, see my wood on Ebay under seller name 60joseph2005 or email me shadetree_1@hotmail.com there is an _ between the e and the 1 in my address.

Thanks !!!

Joe

Hi Joe,

Would you please clarify something for me? My family is from Wickenburg.....had a ranch there....with a LOT of mesquite thickets and we cut a LOT of mesquite. I have always called the old native mesquite growth "ironwood", which is what the local landscapers here call it. It is a very tough wood which oozes creosote when it becomes old growth. Is that incorrect? Is ironwood something else....not mesquite? I feel foolish asking.....I spent 20 years as a trim carpenter and worked with mesquite a lot, however I have been told that what I called "ironwood" really isn't mesquite, so I would like a clarification so that I can speak more correctly. I know that what we called ironwood was hard on chainsaw chains, was magnificent smoking/BBQ wood and was beautiful hard wood.

Thanks,

Bobby

[Az Ironwood]

Hi Joe,

Would you please clarify something for me? My family is from Wickenburg.....had a ranch there....with a LOT of mesquite thickets and we cut a LOT of mesquite. I have always called the old native mesquite growth "ironwood", which is what the local landscapers here call it. It is a very tough wood which oozes creosote when it becomes old growth. Is that incorrect? Is ironwood something else....not mesquite? I feel foolish asking.....I spent 20 years as a trim carpenter and worked with mesquite a lot, however I have been told that what I called "ironwood" really isn't mesquite, so I would like a clarification so that I can speak more correctly. I know that what we called ironwood was hard on chainsaw chains, was magnificent smoking/BBQ wood and was beautiful hard wood.

Thanks,

Bobby

Big difference my friend, Ironwood is ALOT harder than mesquite and weighs 66-70# per cubic foot, it won't even float, and alot harder on a chain than mesquite, it's not the mesquite that was hard on a chain it's the wind blown sand in the shaggy bark that does it same as cutting the old shaggy bark cedar, Mesquite does ooz as you say ironwood does not, and you would not want to use ironwood for a bbq, it stinks like dead cat when you burn it, i sell alot to pen turners and have a dozen of them as me if it was supposed to smell like something dead when they drilled it and got it hot! And mequite smells great !! I use it for my own bbq, and Ironwood can live to be 1,500 years old! Mesquite won't even come close to that, when you lived here and where out in the desert, did you ever see the trees with the purple blossoms? that is Ironwood, mesquites are a yellow, the name Olneya Tesota is ironwood, it's a distant member of the pea family, hope this helps.

Thanks

Joe

Hi Joe,

Would you please clarify something for me? My family is from Wickenburg.....had a ranch there....with a LOT of mesquite thickets and we cut a LOT of mesquite. I have always called the old native mesquite growth "ironwood", which is what the local landscapers here call it. It is a very tough wood which oozes creosote when it becomes old growth. Is that incorrect? Is ironwood something else....not mesquite? I feel foolish asking.....I spent 20 years as a trim carpenter and worked with mesquite a lot, however I have been told that what I called "ironwood" really isn't mesquite, so I would like a clarification so that I can speak more correctly. I know that what we called ironwood was hard on chainsaw chains, was magnificent smoking/BBQ wood and was beautiful hard wood.

Thanks,

Bobby

You are not that far away Bobby come on out and I'll show you the ironwood anytime you want! I have piece of mesquite also, you can have it for your BBQ.

Thanks

Joe

[DCKNIVES]

I love Desert Ironwood and use quite a bit of it on my knives.Its really hard to find a prettier wood when its buffed out, and its very durable.Dave

here are a few examples of it on my knives

[Az Ironwood]

Beautiful work my friend and you are right I don't think you can find a more beautiful wood !! I love it and love cutting it and seeing it come to life in a craftsmans hands !!!!!

Thanks for the pictures

Joe

[roo4u]

that grey/green brush thats all over the desert in az and socal...the stuff that oozes creosote when cut is creosote brush....

[hidepounder]

Big difference my friend, Ironwood is ALOT harder than mesquite and weighs 66-70# per cubic foot, it won't even float, and alot harder on a chain than mesquite, it's not the mesquite that was hard on a chain it's the wind blown sand in the shaggy bark that does it same as cutting the old shaggy bark cedar, Mesquite does ooz as you say ironwood does not, and you would not want to use ironwood for a bbq, it stinks like dead cat when you burn it, i sell alot to pen turners and have a dozen of them as me if it was supposed to smell like something dead when they drilled it and got it hot! And mequite smells great !! I use it for my own bbq, and Ironwood can live to be 1,500 years old! Mesquite won't even come close to that, when you lived here and where out in the desert, did you ever see the trees with the purple blossoms? that is Ironwood, mesquites are a yellow, the name Olneya Tesota is ironwood, it's a distant member of the pea family, hope this helps.

Thanks

Joe

Thanks for the clarification, Joe. Then I have mistakenly been calling old growth mesquite "ironwood" when it was not. And I do know the tree you are speaking of with the purple flowers and I don't think it produces beans like mesquites do. We thinned a large number of thickets on the ranch there in Wickenburg and produced many many chords of wood. Properly thinned a mesquite thicket can produce a lot of feed for cattle and still be manageable property. Left alone those thickets are an unridable and unmanagable santuary for a lot of dangerous critters. I've seen large old thickets that dogs couldn't clear cattle from and I have spent way more time on my knees in some of those thickets than I care to remember. When ever we cleared old large trees we tried to use them. They make beautiful fireplace mantles and other such features. You're probably familiar with that place, Joe, it ran from the bridge in town to the north, all the way through Box Canyon which we kept.

Thanks,

Bobby

that grey/green brush thats all over the desert in az and socal...the stuff that oozes creosote when cut is creosote brush....

Thanks roo4u, you're right, that is a creosote bush. I've cleared a LOT of that and burro weed, both which can be invasive in cleared pastures in the desert. What I am referring to is a tree, however. The old growth mesquites that I am talking about are from 1-1/2' to 3' in diameter are often 25'- 30' tall especially when prunned and thinned. When they reach that maturity they begin to ooze a black sticky sap which is commonly referred to as creosote although I do not know that it really is creosote.

Thanks,

Bobby

[Discgolfer]

Hi Joe, I wonder if you would consider making a trade... ... Would you be interested in some nice pieces of "Alibates Flint"... for some shaped Desert Ironwood, and or having you take the Desert Ironwood, and replacing the handle on a knife(or 2)??? And if you happen to have Desert Ironwood pistol grips already configured for a Ruger P89... I also have some nice looking varied colored pieces of petrified wood as well. Do let me know at your earliest convenience. thanks for your time and consideration. If I get a reply before Thanksgiving.. cool! If not - Have an enjoyable Thanksgiving!!

Regards, John Martin

Hi folks,

I have Desert Ironwood for sale for knife and pistol handles and grips, I have it in Burl and Figured, see my wood on Ebay under seller name 60joseph2005 or email me shadetree_1@hotmail.com there is an _ between the e and the 1 in my address.

Thanks !!!

Joe

[TwinOaks]

This topic is from back in May, and the member selling the wood hasn't been active since late June. You might want to try contacting him via the email address he linked in his post.

[shadetree 1]

Hi Joe, I wonder if you would consider making a trade... ... Would you be interested in some nice pieces of "Alibates Flint"... for some shaped Desert Ironwood, and or having you take the Desert Ironwood, and replacing the handle on a knife(or 2)??? And if you happen to have Desert Ironwood pistol grips already configured for a Ruger P89... I also have some nice looking varied colored pieces of petrified wood as well. Do let me know at your earliest convenience. thanks for your time and consideration. If I get a reply before Thanksgiving.. cool! If not - Have an enjoyable Thanksgiving!!

Regards, John Martin

Hi John,

Sorry my friend, I don't make handles or pistol grips, I just have the Ironwood in blocks, for the knife scales and grips, you would have to have the ability to make them yourself or have a pro do it for you, and if I did not already have some very nice pieces of flint and a pile of real pretty petrified wood in my yard I would trade but alas, my wife says not only do I have rocks in my head but I have too many in the yard also, I told her that was caused by being married to her for 35 years but shes not buying that, she thinks I'm just a crabbie old fart.

Joe