Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Uses for large sassafras logs

We have sassafrass all over the place down here in Georgia and N. Carolina.
I have made tea from the roots a hundred times.
The biggest diameter I ever saw of a sassafrass tree was 3 inches.

Dont cut em yet!! I may have someone who would love to have some blanks, and they will have to be cut as such. It's an Ozark tradition to make paddles and oars from it. let me get in touch with a fella. What state are you in??

I sold some sassafras logs many years ago to be used for golf club heads. Not suit that market is still out there.

Talked to him he needs finished dimensions 1-1/4x8x72" So rough cut blanks would be 2x10x80" maybe depending on how smooth your rough cut is...

Cannot imagine a less suitable wood for that! Persimmon is the favorite and sassafras is at the opposite end of the spectrum

Send me a pm with the fellow’s contact info please.
The trees are still alive although with a considerable amount of trunk laying on the ground they won’t live long.

Thanks for the replies gents, as almost always the Fire shows it’s unique side with lots of knowledge and good advice.
I’m in Southern Michigan
Mark

Guess I'm mistaken, I heard it was persimmon the Japanese were buying for golf clubs. Since persimmon is a highly sought after wood for golf club construction.

James, ours are being affected by Laurel wilt, ambrosia beetle.

10$ a bd ft?

Holy fugk, I'm gonna be rich. fencerows and bottomland is decorated with them. Always considered them and suckamores, junk

Would make a beautiful stock for a custom built Creedmoor.
You could engrave each of the 3 leaf shapes on the receiver.
One for each mile it will shoot.

I wouldn’t get to excited about that $10 bd ft number. Yesterday, I bought 800 bd ft of air dried rough sawn sassafras for $.50 a bd ft. I’ve never paid over a $1 a bd ft for it and I’m not that far from you. It’s great to work with and soft enough to resaw easily. I use it for drawer sides and bottoms. Plan to build some small tables in the near future.

we have persimmon loggers come through, looking for larger diameter persimmons for just that, golf club heads. turn them on computer driven machines and at one time Japan would buy everyone of them.

another good one, maybe kind of like sassafras in a way, are the Paulownia (princess tree). will make fine casegoods, and much sought after in the larger diameters. often found as individuals growing next to hog pens in the countryside. but ya better watch out, somebody will steal away with them in the dark of night.

The old timers go to wood for boat paddles here in the Ozarks.

After reading all the responses, this one best embodies the Campfire.
A semi (?) serious answer with some good ideas.
And the piece-de-resistance, ends with a Fire joke.

Perfect!