: ... or any other wood, for that matter, I assume its easier to use flat-grain
: strips than edge-grain strips. Instinct tells me this is right but it
: doesn't hurt to check. This would be for the internal and external stems -
: a bit more of a bend on the stern than the bow, but still nothing like the
: coaming lip, as discussed in the earlier thread.

Ash, Hickory, WHITE oak, and northern white cedar are THE preferred woods for bending
because they possess natural bending properties unlike other woods. This why stripping
with northern white cedar is easier than other woods

Yes, you can bend other woods, but not as easily and with as much success as with these woods.

The best stock would be quarter saw wood (cut on a radius from the log center) which will
not have any grain run out, which might cause the piece to break during bending. Typically,
we buy flat sawn boards and cut strips from the edge. The strips have a consist tight grain,
with no figure to it. This is what quarter sawn wood looks like.

All the best,

Rob Macks
Laughing Loon CC&K
www.LaughingLoon.com