Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Friday Filler
These days, carbon fiber is the exotic material of choice for high-performance sporting equipment. In the 1880s, it was hickory.
American hickory was in great demand in faraway places like Scotland for making golf clubs and Norway for making skis. Hickory and its desirable properties had been known for some time, but was not widely used. What suddenly turned it into the high-performance material of choice in the 1880s?
Re: Friday Filler
Used in equipment in the games of the gods?
The right stuff
Hint
The answer has to do with a woodworking related technology.
AX handles.......
Balloon Framing=Hammers?
Wire nails were born in the 1870's so maybe a big need for hammers followed? Just a guess.
Tommy
Hint 2
Hickory was indeed the "Right Stuff" for golf-club shafts and skis, but nobody used it much until the 1880s. What woodworking technology made it practical to mass produce these items from this wood.
Re: Hint 2
Duplicating lathe?
Friday Answer
Although the strength and toughness of hickory made it the ideal wood for skis, that same toughness made it difficult to machine. So manufacturers compromised on lesser woods.
Improvements in steelmaking processes in the mid 19th century resulted in economical production of high quality tool steel. This improved tooling made it economically practical to manufacture skis from hickory.