Bat, hard and dense wood with fine grain and flower-coloured inserts

"The most beautiful wood for knife handles that I've seen, and I've made a few knives, would be batwood. It has great fiber." This is Mr Miron Rancea's comment on the article about quince wood. This is where the article below started. My curiosity led me to look for information and I discovered that the bat is not only the color and fiber of the lilac, but also one of the toughest species in Europe. Mr. Rancea sent us the photographs illustrating the text, with the wood cut especially for this occasion confirming the hardness data. We thank him very much for his availability.

The bat, born from the Greek nymph Syringa

The Latin name of the bat is Syringa vulgaris. The name comes from the Greek nymph Syringa, also known as Styrux. Legend has it that Pan, god of forests and fields, was in love with her and kept chasing her through the forest. But the love was unrequited. One day, afraid of him, the nymph turned herself into a bat bush to hide. Pan didn't find her, but he discovered the shrub and made a bass-drum from its hollow stems. This is probably the origin of the frequent mention of the use of lilac wood to make musical instruments, although it is not backed up by concrete data.

The bat has been part of mythology and symbolism throughout the ages. Because of its sweet scent, the Celts believed it had magical powers, and in Victorian times it was a symbol of old love, the color purple (lilac) often worn by widows. In Russia, a sprig of lilac was passed over a newborn child to bring wisdom.

The lilac blooms in spring and is therefore a symbol of renewal and confidence. Its flowers have different colors, depending on the species, with each color symbolizing something else. The white lilac represents purity and innocence, while the purple symbolizes spirituality. Flowers that are more blue in color symbolize happiness and tranquility, while magenta-red flowers symbolize love and passion. Whatever the color, the lilac's bloom is a joy for all and a sign that winter is over.

Favorite shrub of American presidents

Lilac - lilac (English), lilac (French), lil (Italian), flieder (German) - part of the Oleaceae, as olive, genus Syringa. There are 12 species in the same genus, all different in appearance - bush, shrub or small tree. There are other species in the world called lilacs (Persian or African lilacs, for example), but they have nothing in common with Syringa. Some sources say it's native to the Balkan peninsula, others that it comes from southeast Europe and Asia. It was acclimatized in northern Europe as early as the 16th century, and arrived in America with the colonists, with Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson admiring the lilac in their own gardens. It is now grown on all continents as an ornamental shrub.

The bat does not grow very tall but can reach up to 6-8 m. It produces secondary shoots from the base, up to 20 cm in diameter. Over time, if the secondary shoots are not cut back to leave only the central trunk, it can develop a substantial bush. The bark is grey-brown, smooth on young stems and longitudinally striped on mature stems. Sometimes the cracked bark detaches from the trunk. The leaves are simple, elongate ovate, arranged in pairs or three in a spiral. The flowers are small and delicate, with 4 or 8 petals (doubled petals), and are clustered in dense, conical inflorescences 6-10 mm long. The flowers are purple or white in color, with purple flowers ranging from blue to dark red. The fruit is a dry, smooth, brown capsule, 1-2 cm long, which opens to release the winged seeds.

Bat wood - harder than white oak

In batwood the difference between sapwood and heartwood is visible. The sapwood is a very light, pale yellowish-white color. Heartwood color can range from tan to reddish-brown and is often striped or streaked with purple, light blue or reddish stripes or coloration, depending on the species. The fiber is fine, sometimes twisted, with a slight natural sheen. Annual rings are distinct in cross-section and sometimes differently colored. Pores are conspicuous, semi-round, very numerous, small to medium in earlywood and very small in latewood. The medullary rays are not visible to the naked eye and are very close together.

Bat wood is very dense and hard. The anhydrous density is 945 kg/m³ and the Janka hardness 10440 N, twice that of white oak. "I didn't realize it was so hard to work with. It has the consistency of fiber similar to of hornbeam. It's cruel, the widia-plated canvas is burnt" - Mr. Rancea said when he sent the photos. On some of the slabs, you can see that the canvas was so hot it burned the wood. I've found sources that give it as one of the hardest species in Europe.

It dries slow and hard, cracks at the ends and shrinks a lot (10% more than species considered high shrinking). It sometimes warps on drying, especially if the fiber is twisted. It must be worked with very sharp tools, and gives off a pleasant lilac-flower-like odor when processed. Turn well and carve by hand quite easily. After sanding, it takes on a very fine appearance due to the delicate fiber. It can be glued, colored and finished without any problems.

Because the small dimensions of the wood do not allow it to be used for large projects, there is no information on its resistance to rot and insect attack.

Wood suitable for pens, bowls, jewellery, spoons or decorative boxes

The lilac is an ornamental shrub, planted for its spring flowers. As a wood, it is little used, especially by hobbyists, to make small objects. The pieces of wood come from shoots cut when they are thick enough or when the plant has dried out for various reasons. The main problem is drying out and it is often very difficult to find anything good among the cracked and twisted pieces.

The wood is used to make small turned objects (pens, rings), bowls, knife handles, pendants, decorative boxes. Thin shoots with colored wood are used to make buttons. Straight pieces of wood can be glued together to make choppers or small table tops. Specially colored wood is used to carve decorative spoons.

Lilac wood burns well, but it needs to be well dried so as not to give off too much smoke and sparks. It has a similar calorific value ash. As it burns it gives off a subtle, sweet smell. The twisted grain makes splitting more difficult the drier the wood. Splitting immediately after cutting is recommended.

It is also used for smoking fish, cheese, poultry and lamb. The aroma is similar to smoking with apple wood or cherry. Experts recommend that the wood is healthy and well dried. The sap inside can give the meat an unpleasant taste.

The bat in traditional medicine and cooking

In traditional European medicine, lilac leaves and fruit were used to treat rheumatism, colds, gout, coughs, coughs, abdominal pains. In North America bat leaf tea was commonly used to lower temperature and against intestinal worms. In traditional Asian medicine, bat bark was used to treat heart disease, bronchitis, toothache and to reduce fever.

The flowers are also used in cooking. They make a pleasant, aromatic syrup used in alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails. They are edible and can be eaten raw or in pancakes. Put in batter they give it a pleasant appearance and color and a slightly bitter-sweet taste.

I hope you find the above information interesting. As always, additions are welcome. And if you have any questions or queries, please leave them below in the space provided. I will be sure to reply.

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