Why are weights of the same type of wood different?

"Hello. I see you offer staffs made out of the same wood and size, but their weights are mentioned as sometimes being different. Is this correct? And how can the weights of wood be different if they are the same wood? Can you explain?"

I've gotten this question a few times, and if you haven't worked with wood in your life then this is a very reasonable question. We often think that a material is a material and therefore it has the same properties wherever you see that material. We do live in a very uniform society... after all... and uniformity is often a goal in manufacturing, but these are handmade objects made from working with natural objects. So this question kind of makes sense... but if you think about it... it will become clear whats going on.

Take two people for example. Even as a common every day example. Two people the same species and volume, can have two different weights due to their bone and muscle mass. It's basically the same for trees. 

But I'll go into a little more detail for the purpose of it making a bit more logical sense. Trees are a product of their location and environment. Two trees of the same species might be growing in totally different situations. one tree might be getting tons of water and light and will grow without competition. This tree will grow very quickly to a tremendous height and width. But the density of the tree will be light. Because this tree grew so much more quickly, the tubes that bring water and nutrients had to be quite big. Meaning there is more air pockets making this tree a lighter one of that species. 

Another tree might have the opposite conditions. It will have lots of competition, and maybe little water. It will struggle and grow slowly. But these trees have something the other 'easier' trees don't. They are EXTREMELY dense and tough. Because they grow so slow, they are sturdy and strong. 

When looking for a stave for a bow and arrow (which was what my previous business as a bowyer) you never wanted to find the largest, tallest trees to make bows (no bo's... I know same word... lol) out of. You always wanted to find the trees that were surrounded by other trees, with not a lot of light, that grew slowly. These trees would become the best bows (and bo staffs also by the way) due to their density. 

Another factor is that for instance Hickory and Ipe are composed of a family of species. There are 16 different species of ipe and several different varieties of hickory. So it is possible they might not be the same species. And although they are similar, they might not match exactly. 

And as another interesting point... clearing those trees actually helped the forest the most, when those struggling trees were removed. In doing so, it helped the forest trees around them get lighter and the area would become healthier. So, there is a certain perfection in nature in the way it helps mankind. But I digress.

And in the end if you doubt me... hehe... you can go to Home Depot and pick up some 2x4's you will find some vary WILDLY in weight. Some are heavy and some light. And they are all pine. So I hope that was a fun read! It was enjoyable for me to write it :)

So to sum up, in the end, I match the density to the weapon to make appropriate weapons for specific uses. All densities are good for something and some are not good for certain things. For contact staffs you need heavy and dense and for demonstration staffs you want the opposite. And based on the wood I get, I make the appropriate choice of what to make with it. And if a weight is not what is expected or there can be a wide variety of weights or uses, I either give a choice of weights on the listing or advertise it as light or medium weight. 

Please feel free to contact me with any questions as I always want people to receive a staff that is appropriate for what they want it for.

-Adam