: What you experienced sounds like the result of irregular grain in your bending
: stock.

I think you are right. I could tell by the end which ribs were likely to break, but the ash tended to be "lumpier" after bending than the oak. Oak seems to get very rubbery in the steamer and wanted to make smooth curves. The best straight-grained ash pieces would bend well, they never had the same rubbery feel as the oak.