I've made strikers out of fresh-cut seasoned osage as well as "mud" osage. Both make good strikers which play between a really hard, dense wood ie., brazilian cherry, ebony, and a softer wood like cedar, apple. In my experience the dark green colored "mud" osage is harder and has a higher pitch and I like it more than the seasoned osage. Most days, I'll have an osage striker in my vest.