Hornbeam or oak?

[Windows]

I pulled some wood from the firewood store yesterday (and started fashioning it with axe and chisel before deciding to use wedges of another wood instead) and it was really nice to work with. Is this hornbeam or oak? And does anyone use hornbeam for anything?

(Piece shown is about 2” diameter)







I thought it was hornbeam because it had large white areas and it’s quite a different colour to pieces in the same pile I know to be oak and didn’t have the same feel when chiselling, but now I’ve taken photos, not sure.

Seems like it’s probably oak and I was confused by the sapwood (which wouldn’t have been present in other wood I’ve used) and possibly either air-dried vs kiln-dried differences. (It was a piece without bark)

 

[jimmy s]

Looks like a bit of ash to me?

 

[AndyT]

Looks like ash to me too, but oak can look very similar. Iirc, hornbeam is tighter, harder and less marked.

 

[Trevanion]

Yes, Ash.

Excellent timber for tool handles due to its toughness and flexibility, though because it’s a ring-porous wood the best pieces for handles are from fast-grown Ash with fewer growth rings than from slow-grown pieces where there is more porous grain present which causes handles to snap prematurely.

 

[Windows]

I think ash is possible. Never used ash before. Thanks!

 

[BentonTool]

Ash makes great handles, etc. Works well. Looks like Ash to me as well. I have found that the density varies, but most often lighter than oak.
Around these parts, we have "Hop-Hornbeam", which is similar to Hornbeam. Also makes great handles. Quite dense...
I made a mallet form the H-H decades ago. Still going strong: