Hackberry

I always recommend both West Penn Hardwoods and Bell Forest Products as excellent sources of both domestic and exotic hardwoods.  I have had multiple dealings with both vendors and have always been very satisfied.

Unfortunately, neither of those favored vendors is currently offering Hackberry.

Hackberry Platter Side

Hackberry Platter Side

I also do significant business with two relatively local merchants who specialize in the hardwoods of the southern United States and both have at different times offered Hackberry.  I have had excellent experiences with both of these vendors as well.

The first vendor is NC Wood, based, as the name implies, in nearby North Carolina and the second are the gentlemen over at Got Wood? in, also nearby, South Carolina.

At this time, NC Wood is only offering spindle blanks of Hackberry, 3”x3”x12” which are excellent for substantial salt/pepper mills or for other vase or spindle projects but not useful for bowl making.

The guys over at GotWood are offering a large array of both spindle and bowl blank sizes of Hackberry.  Bowl blank sizes range from 4” round by 2” thick up to a much more generous 10”x2” platter blank with 8 other sizes in between.  The most expensive bowl blank is only $11.56 (for a large 8”x4” bowl blank) making Hackberry an excellent value wood for the size.  Spindles run in size from 2”x2”x6” up to 3”x3”x12” with two sizes in between with a top price of $4.88, a much better bargain that those currently offered by NC Wood to be honest.

In addition, GotWood is offering a rare find, a kiln dried Hackberry bowl blank of a good size, 8”x2” for an excellent price of $11.56.  But with only one in stock and Hackberry of this size rarely available in kiln dried condition, don’t count on it being available for long.

While they don’t currently stock any Hackberry, I would like to mention one additional vendor with whom I have had several very positive experiences, WoodTurningz of Indiana.  Despite the cutesy name, which tends to annoy me, this company does offer a decent selection of bowl blanks although the focus of their business seems to be pen making.  I have found a few species from this outfit which I have not found from any other vendor.  They provided me with good products and excellent service so I can certainly recommend them.

Hackberry Platter Bottom

Hackberry Platter Bottom

Woodfinder is an excellent website that is dedicated to advertising wood dealers.  In your search for Hackberry, this can be an invaluable resource provided you use multiple search terms to capture all the possible listings.  I can’t speak to the quality of any of the listed dealers, but Woodfinder does have the advantage of allowing searches to be performed based on location which might allow an interested buyer to visit a listed wood dealer in person to hand pick pieces at a comfortable price.

A significant problem with using Woodfinder is that many vendors are listed for woods that, upon further investigation, they do not offer.  I don’t know if perhaps once they did and they didn’t update their listings or if some vendors use a standardized list of woods that include most everything conceivable with the idea that once you land on their page you will find something you want to buy even if you didn’t know it beforehand.  It happens to me all the time!

Uses

Hackberry is primarily an utility wood used for function and form instead of appearance in its native areas.  It commonly finds application in upholstered furniture framing as well as in making boxes and crates.  Pieces of Hackberry that display attractive spalted patterns may be used as veneer wood.  Hackberry is also popular for making turned objects such as bowls, vases, spice mills, and similar items.  However Hackberry truly shines when it comes to steam bent items, especially in higher end furniture due to the fact that Hackberry is said to be one of the absolute finest of all steam bendable woods that are natively available in the eastern parts of North America.