What Woods have you used?

I'm starting a journey of pipe-making. Haven't purchased Briar yet but I have a plethora of wood in my shop (maple, ash, black walnut, etc.).

Welcome mate, that is an awesome first post and will be eagerly looking forward to responses
I have always thought I might cheat a bit and get one of these, but with my laziness would probably just smoke it and if anyone asked I would proudly say "yeah I made it myself"

Mulberry and walnut worked well for me. There was a really cool pipemaker who used oak, very avant garde pieces I thought were amazing but his name escapes me at the moment.

I would recommend a bowl coat to avoid wood smoke while breaking in, but using other woods will let you go through the process at no cost except for the stem materials.

Any wood you use I would check for toxicity. I am pretty sure (but no expert) that black walnut has toxic oils in it, not good for people.

You might consider black cherry

I have a very nice-smoking 1940s Trapwell "Worlds Best Briar" from North Carolina which is made with mountain laurel root. (Since briar imports were interrupted during WWII, people got creative about substitutes, and I am keeping my eye out for a source to try my hand at it. This is an Appalachian species. Trapwell also produced briar pipes - marked imported briar.

I have a big boxwood root and a multiflora rose root that I'm drying. I don't know if either would be any good - if anyone has experience with them, I would like to hear from you.

Good luck!