Hawthorn - Any good as an instrument wood?

[Thunza]

Hello, I have just join after finding this forum, I thought I might find someone who knows about something i've been wondering about.

Does anyone know if Hawthorn can be a suitable wood for making wind instruments?

I've only built string instruments before but would like to try some woodwind instruments and I have a nice bit of clear straight grain Hawthorn in fairly good quantity. It seems to have a good reputation for hardness, though I wouldn't say mine seems too impressive in that regard.

What I don't know is how stable/crack prone it is. It seems to dry very rapidly and splits quite fast if not sealed soon after cutting, maybe not a good indicator for stability?


So any thoughts?
Thanks

[Peter Duggan]

Not sure what it would be like for wet-blown instruments like flutes and whistles, but it's certainly usable for dry-blown instruments like bellows pipes. Ross Calderwood of Lochalsh Pipes, who makes Scottish smallpipes and border pipes from native woods, has used it.

[DrPhill]

I cannot comment on its use for whistle making, but I have a walking stick that I carved from hawthorn some 10-15 years ago. It has not cracked or split anywhere, and it has been used, abused and neglected in equal measures. I salvaged it from the 'hedge' that I cleared at the bottom of my first owned property. IIRC it was a nice wood to work with (for carving at least).

[kkrell]

Couldn't even find it in the Wood Database, which was surprising. Maybe because there are so many variations? Seems to be hard, moisture-resistant, and is mentioned as a substitute for boxwood for engraving.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crataegus

[Thunza]

Thanks for the replies.

I suppose if in doubt it would be sensible to only use it for single piece instruments.

The stuff I have is very nice in appearance with some ripple figure, it will still need a couple of years drying if i'm ever to use it.

[an seanduine]

Crataegus. If it doesn't work out for whistles, one traditional folk tales specify it as an excellent wood for stakes to drive through the the hearts of vampires. . .

Bob

[Thunza]

Hah, all is not lost then, i'll get sharpening.

[ggunner]

Weston Whistles in the UK makes whistles from hawthorn.

http://www.westonwhistles.co.uk/prices.htm

[tin tin]

Has anyone ever made a whistle from blackthorn, you know, a blackthorn stick? (Sorry.)

[nicx66]

Currently black locust is the one i have been using. It is super resistant to moisture and very hard/dense/close-grained. Most people use it for fence posts or firewood due to its heat output vs. low smoke. I am only using it for the fipple plugs, so I don't need a whole lot of it. I realize that the original query likely pertains more to the lathe-turned variety of whistle. I have tried fruitwood too and african blackwood, but never hawthorn.

[Thunza]

Interesting to see at least one maker who's using it.