Ulmus parvifolia elm" for the real Chinese elm. Elms, hickory and ash all have remarkably hard, tough wood that has made them popular for things like tool handles, bows and baseball bats. Chinese elm is considered the hardest of the elms. Owing to its superior hardness, toughness and resistance to splitting, Chinese elm is said to be the best of all woods for chisel handles and similar uses. Chinese elm lumber is used most for furniture, cabinets, veneer and hardwood flooring, as well as specialty uses such as long bow construction and tool handles. Most of the commercially milled lumber goes directly
Neobalanocarpus and sills, tool handles (impact), carving works and other uses where strength and durability are required. On the Malay Peninsula Chengal has been used as the wood of choice for house and boatbuilding. It is sometimes referred to as the "Malaysian Teak". Despite its extreme strength and hardness, Chengal is highly flexible before it is fully cured, making it the ideal wood for plank bending (boatbuilding). It is also highly resistant to rot, fungi and mildew. In addition, Chengal has a relatively low shrinkage ratio, (only inferior to Teak) which makes it excellent for applications where it undergoes periodic changes