On Sat, 09 Oct 2004 12:01:12 -0500, Archimedes Plutonium
wrote:

What prompted this question? Well recently I bought some lumber of white
ash, plus hickory plus white oak and various others. I do not believe
the data on strength of wood is accurate and am wanting to test these
woods myself. I believe oak is stronger than hickory. I believe the
strength of hickory is a sales hype.

I can tell you that most types of hickory are harder to split than
most types of oak. This bears mostly on the degree of crosslinking
(cross grain fibers) in the wood.

England had hickory species and ash species. And because the growth
pattern of oaks allows horizontal branches which means the wood has to
be tougher and stronger to grow horizontal.

This is a nice theory, but I don't think it holds up well in reality.
American Elm, which bears limbs mostly erectly, is one of the toughest
woods around. I would defy anyone to hand split an 18" x 18" diameter
log down the middle.

Steve Turner