For raw fresh wood, don't use soft woods like spruce saplings, even though they are generally straight, they are weak and light.  When selecting a raw shoot, keep in mind that there are several obvious reasons why you want shafts to be sourced from relatively straight wood; however a less obvious reason, is that every time a shaft must be straightened, micro cracks are formed (an effect exacerbated by the severity of the initial natural bends of the wood) and these cracks will ultimately weaken the dried shafts.  Heat treating wood, to fix a bend, is also made brittle; this makes a weak spot in your shaft which will reduce service life. Select saplings of the right diameter and ones free of many bends and sharp kinks before it’s cut down. Waste is something we avoid when taking a life, and know the waste if the tree finishes unsuitable for the shaft. You want a strong, robust, heavy hard wood shaft with few branch knots on the shaft (like cherry, saskatoon, or ash); this will ...