Hello all:
Just a note on wooden pegs from Ontario Canada for what it is worth. I have examined many period structures in this area that are still standing after 200 years, in the majority of cases the pins are all manufactured from white oak. Since I had to copy the methods the original timberframe\carpenters used, close examination of the pins revealed their straight grained nature, 8 sided slightly tapered, well pointed, but large and squarish on the end that received the strike of the large mallet driving it home. I have yet to see a mortise and tenant failure due to broken pegs.