I've never used a froe before but I'm enamored with the idea of making my own boards.

Right now, I use splitting wedges to make quarters small enough to feed through my bandsaw. This results in a lot of waste as the wood never splits cleanly. 5" is usually the best board width I can manage once I'm done cutting.

I've looked at videos of wood being riven with a froe (not making individual planks, just squaring off the sides) but the wood being split is never identified. It always looks clean and smooth and I think that would fit through a bandsaw much better.

Can I use a froe to rive woods like mesquite and pine?

I've never used a froe before but I'm enamored with the idea of making my own boards.

Right now, I use splitting wedges to make quarters small enough to feed through my bandsaw. This results in a lot of waste as the wood never splits cleanly. 5" is usually the best board width I can manage once I'm done cutting.

I've looked at videos of wood being riven with a froe (not making individual planks, just squaring off the sides) but the wood being split is never identified. It always looks clean and smooth and I think that would fit through a bandsaw much better.

Can I use a froe to rive woods like mesquite and ponderosa pine?