Can anyone identify the material used on this cello bow?

Hi guys and girls,

I found this cello bow in a local pawn shop recently, seems to be a very good maker 'Ralph Ashmead', from what I have found out so far, the button on the end will be fossil ivory either mammoth or mastodon and the main section of the bow could be ironwood.

I was wondering what the wood is that has been used for the 'frog', looks like burl of some kind?
Anyone got an ideas what it could be?

 

Looks like a buckeye burl to me

 

I tend to agree to with Mert, Buckeye most probably. However, a dyed Maple burl could also look very similar (proof pics below):

 

Thanks guys!
Pics not showing for me Anton.

This is very much out of my comfort zone with what I usually buy and sell but I always trust my gut feeling and it hardly ever lets me down

 

The main section looks more like Ebony than Ironwood to me. The other piece does look like Buckeye, but something is making me think it isn't. I vote for dyed Maple!

 

I think in that case I will go with 'could' be buckeye or dyed maple, leaves it open to the buyer to decide! The main body has some brown streaks in the right light and it looks like the stuff he calls Ironwood on his website, although it looks darker than Ironwood I have seen before?
Thanks!

 

Not buckeye. Probably box elder.

 

It looks exactly like a piece of maple burl that I have. The guy who dyed it uses a yellow/gold dye first for a short time, then does and black dye for a longer period.

 

I guess with the dyed stuff these days it's easy for one wood to look like another!
Thanks for all the info guys

 

It is a nice bow in any event.:like

 

Yep is a nice piece and even though it isn't something I would use I can clearly see the craftsmanship involved in making it:cool1

 

Next up on my iTunes playlist..."Warren Plays the Cello"

 

Sounds good! just need the Cello now

 

Did you email the maker and ask?

 

Yep emailed him yesterday, will hopefully get a reply:like

 

First instinct was buckeye burl...but it's somehow 'off'. That said, I have a piece of buckeye burl in hand that looks almost identical lol.

On the shaft, it looks like ebony to me too. Ebony often has brownish streaks in my experience, and even grey or white streaks. Just adds to the beauty in my opinion. I've never seen ironwood be so black overall.

 

Thanks Cris, I have looked on his website and he seems to use Ironwwod and African Blackwood for the darker looking bows, so maybe African Blackwood? can't see any mention of Ebony, hoping to get a reply from him with regards to the wood used.

 

Yep...African blackwood has brown streaks, and when oiled has that greasy look like ebony.