Shagbark Hickory is a domestic hardwood.  It is the hardest, heaviest and strongest North American wood in common every day use.  No other commercial wood has the combination of strength, toughness and elasticity.  Also, no other North American hardwood could adequately substitute for Shagbark Hickory.  It’s heartwood is brown to reddish-brown and the sapwood is very wide and nearly white.  The texture is very coarse, the grain is usually straight but sometimes irregular.