What's this type of wood?

[DennisCA]

Brought home this piece of firewood from my parents summer cottage wood pile, no idea what it is. Figured I'd try and make something of it. I am thinking of making a mallet roughly in the same style as Paul Sellers mallet:

Rough cut it with the bandsaw, it made a weird smell, sorta reminded me of food or spices.

I have been trying to shape it to see what I end up with. No real plan, perhaps beveling all 4 corners, maybe leave a bit of the natural edge in one corner. It has some interesting grain in it, and a knot that'd make a good strike face I believe. Unfortunately it also has the pith in it, not sure what I can do about that, if anything? Maybe just fill the existing crack with epoxy? Some say drill it out and fill with a dowel but I think that'd look strange.

 

[wallace]

Looks like its spalted ash?

 

[AndyT]

I'd guess at birch, as it's pale and famously plentiful in Finland. Definitely spalted though.

I have a mallet made from birch which seems to be holding up well. It's not as pretty but does have some of the brown / cream mixture of colours.

 

[Tetsuaiga]

Spalted something, birch seems a good bet.

 

[DennisCA]

I thought birch but when I started cutting it up it didn't smell like birch to me. Someone elsewhere volunteered Rowan which does grow here, I can mark it with my nail so I think that rules out birch or ash (also doesn't grow naturally here)