Steve, Check the Wikipedia page on Lignum vitae. There is a hardness scale referenced on that page, the Janka Hardness Scale, and Lignum vitae is reputed to be the hardest commercially traded wood rated on that scale - which does not mean it is THE hardest wood in the world, or the densest, but it's up there! It's rated as nearly 3x harder than hickory. It definitely blows everything in North America out of the water, so to speak.
I think you are correct that there are characteristics other than density that influence wood hardness. Interlocking grain is a huge factor. Josh On Oct 31, 2:14 pm, Steve Galehouse <[email protected]> wrote: > ENTS- > > I would be surprised if greater specific gravity or density represents > greater hardness of wood in all cases---it certainly doesn't in metals and > minerals. > > Steve > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
