11/07/2025
Alright sawyers and wood junkies — I need some real opinions on this one.
This is Slippery Elm — and not the fence row stuff. This is a once-in-a-lifetime log for North Jersey. I’ll probably never see another one this size again.
I don’t want to rush this and regret it.
This thing has that “fought every storm for 100 years” character — limbs, tension, sweep, the whole story written in the grain.
So here’s the question:
If this log was yours… how would you break it down?
Options I’m considering:
• Live edge flitch slabs (full width)
• Thick stock for mantles / waterfall builds
• Quartersawn sections to chase the interlocked grain
• Or some kind of hybrid approach
This is not firewood. This is legacy wood.
I want to hear real sawyer strategy — not guesses:
How would you open this log?
What’s your first cut and why?
I included a few photos of one of the smaller branches. I got into various materials in case you haven’t seen what it looks like when it’s cut. To me it’s like wh***ey and to***co decided to come back as a tree.
Photos below. Measurements in comments. Let’s hear it fellas
