"john carlson" wrote in message
...
You must have some pretty strong fingernails. IME, even "soft" maple
is pretty hard. There's no way that I can dig a fingernail into it.

Welll... ;~) I keep my nails pretty short and the don't bend easily... and
you may have a "harder" soft maple in your neck of the woods that what I
see. My supplier keeps them both next to each other.....I don't know why,
and they get mixed..