I agree with Gary. In the continental U.S. lignum vitae (Guaiacum sanctum) is the hardest and densest wood. Lignum vitae was once found in extreme southern Florida and the Keys but is now practically extinct due to over harvesting. Of the more temperate species, osage orange is the hardest I've worked with, and black locust and hickory are the hardest I have easy access to. Of hickory and locust, locust is harder but hickory is more flexible and absorbs shock better, which is why hickory is so popular for tool handles. Other extremely hard species of note are dogwood, persimmon, mesquite (western), hop hornbeam, ironwood and sugar maple, in no particular order.
Larry mentioned live oak as the hardest species. I do not think that live oak is harder than those listed above but is prized because it has such large "crotches"- areas where branches join the main stem. These zones of wood have interlocking fibers and and are always the hardest part of any individual tree. Old pruned branches are often known as "knots" and tend to be very hard. Cool subject. Josh On Oct 31, 11:21 am, "Gary A. Beluzo" <[email protected]> wrote: > Jenny, > > I thought Lignum vitae was the hardest wood, it sinks in water it is > so dense, it grows in the tropics. I had a piece from San Salvador > Island when I was doing research on stromatolites for my advisor in > graduate school. > I believe there is an old law on the books regarding either Lignum > vitae or Carpinus (not striking your family member with anything that > hard!). > > In Masschusetts I would assume it is "ironwood or musclewood " or > Carpinus caroliniana. I know it is the densest wood in New England. > > Gary > > Gary A. Beluzo > Professor of Environmental Science > Division of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics > Holyoke Community College > 303 Homestead Avenue > Holyoke, MA 01040 > > [email protected] > 413 552-2445 > > On Oct 31, 2009, at 10:59 AM, [email protected] wrote: > > > But it must be called Ironwood for a reason? Is this Carpinus > > caroliniana we're talking about - musclewood because the trunk > > contours look like muscles? > > > Jenny > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Marcboston <[email protected]> > > To: ENTSTrees <[email protected]> > > Sent: Sat, Oct 31, 2009 9:31 am > > Subject: [ENTS] Re: What's the hardest hardwood? > > > Ironwood! (It is probably not even close to being the hardest but I > > cannot help myself.) > > > On Oct 31, 9:22 am, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> > > wrote: > > > I have never run into a US wood harder than plains grown and > > dried > > > Osage orange (Maclura). You could start a campfire with the sparks > > off > > > of a chainsaw when cutting it. > > > > On Oct 30, 8:21 pm, "Edward Frank" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Trivia for wood lovers. There is some hard wood out there, > > people. April 11, > > 2008 > > > > >http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/ > > What_is_the_Hardest_Wood_on_Ear... > > > > > Check out my new Blog: http://nature-web-network.blogspot.com/ > > (andclick on > > some of the ads) > > > > ENTS, > > > > > Quick question. Is hickory the hardest hardwood?- Hide quoted > > text - > > > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Eastern Native Tree Society http://www.nativetreesociety.org Send email to [email protected] Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees?hl=en To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
