What is Ironwood?

[jb616]

The ironwood that resembles beech is sometime called "musclewood" as the stem looks like a body-builders' rippling muscles. Grows out back of my house in wet areas.

This is the Ironwood that I have. I made a cant hook handle out of one and it is tough as nails. I also had a guy take one to make a longbow. Never heard how it turned out. I honestly think Hickory is harder wood though. 

[SwampDonkey]

Dried to 12%, Hophornbeam has a specific gravity of 0.70, shagbark is 0.72, black locust is 0.69, live oak is 0.88, osage-orange is 0.8. I don't see anything for blue beech (musclewood), is it more of a shrub than a tree? I saw a huge service berry (well 12"  stump with suckers off it) this summer. I know that is hard wood to, but I don't have any figures. I mostly see it no bigger than 3" diameter. Who knows what species, there's many.