Tim,
When I first used the gin pole it was green and I had peeled the bark off. The angle of lift was 60 degrees on the 20ft hand-hewn oak bent with minimum flexion or bending. And the angle of the lift for the sawn pine bent was greater than 60 degrees and the gin pole flexed enough for me to feel that it would snap. It is my opinion that if the flexion was the same for both lifts that happened 3 years apart that the second lift in question using the seasoned pole and the lack of moisture caused it to become brittle and not as solid as if it were green. The idea behind bending a green tree or sapling such as used in a animal snare, once triggered causes the sapling to spring back. This would not be possible with a dry or seasoned tree. The saying "strong enough to bend" comes into play when speaking of green gin poles. IMHO
Rooster
