[Tatu Salmela]

I use nowadays rowan ash for my instruments. In northern Finland, the rowan ash gets rotten at the core when it reaches over 70 cm diameter. The rest of the wood stays hard and the natural resins make it good for moisture-resistant applications. I have used it for harmonica combs etc. My old teacher showed me that you can make a knife out of rowan ash, it easily cuts trough alder, birch and maple, the more common Finnish hardwoods.