Hackleberry

I’ve never heard of Hackleberry. We had Hawthorn when we lived on the Walla Walla river and it was called Hawberry. It also might be Mullberry.

-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon

Hackberry ? It is a hardwood, I have used it often. It does not stain well in my experience. Bonus though it spalts pretty cool if you let it lay. I have sawn out rustic mantles for example. It is a superior framing/structural material (assuming you get it to dry flat/straight) I also build a child’s rocking chair from it, the people gave me several trees from their building site of a new home. I made the chair as a token of appreciation. It is not a very rot resistant wood, so inside uses are best. So yes, it is good for something other than firewood.

-- Urban logger, http://nelsonwoodworks.biz/

If it is Hackberry? I too have used it quite a bit and have been able to stain it though you should use a conditioner first. One of the local mills here sells it much like any other furniture wood.

-- Kevin -- (http://www.furniturebykevin.com)

I have a friend that has Hackberry flooring in his home. Very mottled, large areas of dark and light wood, it is different. Here’s some info:
Hackberry fans make a case for an underrated species.

-- http://www.grandprairiewoodworks.com

Never heard of it but would love to see some photos and of whatever you chose to build in the end with it.

Hackberry turns well. I will post a vase that was turned from a hackberry burl. It also has some pretty hefty thorns.

-- Genius is immediate, but talent takes time.

I have made oval and rectangular wooden belt buckles out of Hackberry. The creamy wood with darker brown throughout looked good with brown leather. I don’t remember where I heard this but I was told that Hackberry was used a lot for wagon tongues because it is tough and strong but when it broke it didn’t injure horses as often because it doesn’t make as many splinters as other woods.

-- Growing older but not up!