Reply by WDHLT15

It is a ring porous hardwood. There is only a small sapwood ring. The bark is interlaced. If the wood is heavy, these are all characteristics of black locust. It is not black walnut. The color of the bark is not dark enough, and the inner bark of fresh cut walnut is yellow.

Interestingly, black locust only ever has a couple of years growth of sapwood. Another characteristic, and this is a little technical, is that the pores in the wood will be completely occluded by crystalline structures called tyloses. These are what make white oak suitable for wine and whisky barrels because the tyloses plug the pores and prevent moisture loss (bleeding). The heartwood of black locust is a dark greenish brown.

-- Wood-Mizer LT15