i used to mess around with horse logging years ago and ended up using only hornbeam(often called ironwood in my area) for my whippletree. I found it much stronger than oak or ash.... the whippletree is essentially a small beam which has the two tugs(leather lines going to the right and left sides of the horse) on either end and a single line coming off the center to pull the logs. I would also say that hornbeam is also stronger for tool handles, but definitely lacks the feel of ash or hickory. Does this relate to pegs??? I would use it for pegs but oak is so much easier to work with when making pegs by hand or by machine, and there is lots of red oak in my area.
