Question
Below is a new wood to me. It appears to be another name for black locust. I came across the false acacia as the material listed in the manufacture of a line of Italian outdoor furniture. I wonder if the black locust they use is slightly different than what we are familiar with in Southeastern Pennsylvania. What I have seen is usually of a lower quality, but much of this has been from fence rows. Does anyone have any input? It sure looks nice on their brochure.
Forum Responses
(Sawing and Drying Forum)
From Gene Wengert, forum technical advisor:
Indeed, the info you have is accurate. This species has been planted in Europe (the flowers make excellent source of honey pollen for bees; the tree is planted in parks, etc.) and is called false acacia rather than the North American name. It does produce nice size logs, but the wood is very hard and so is difficult to saw, compared to other species. As noted, it has beautiful grain. Europeans are often familiar with sawing and working with denser woods, as they have experience with the dense tropical woods.
