: 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.

I went through the exact same thing with swirling grain in the ash I used. Now that you mention it, the ash never felt quite like the oak, but I'm comparing air dried ash with green oak, so that probably has a lot to do with it.