On Tue, 12 May 2009 21:05:46 -0500, "Martin H. Eastburn"
wrote:

Actually Iron wood is a local or regional wood. It is the hardest local.

I have some Iron wood from the South Pacific. I know it is different from yours.

In Maine - you likely have a species that is locally known as an iron wood.

Likely the Iron Wood from Arizona is very dense and hard. It is likely nice
for small projects - pens and such.

I don't know that wood, but the general term available to localities.

Martin

I know Lie-Nielsen uses locally grown hornbeam for their chisels ...
http://www.lie-nielsen.com/index.php

but I'm pretty sure at least what we get for Ipe decking (and it is
referred to in the brochure as ironwood) comes from somwhere out of
state (and probably not even in the Northeast).

Lenny