You've got that right! I've always heard from the "old timers" that hackberry was worthless, no good for lumber or firewood. I got some one day and sawed some boards. Then I cut some up and turned it on the lathe.
The guy I got this tree from told me it was elm so I've been thinking that until the other John Jordan (the famous woodturner) told me it was hackberry. I still have some chunks I'm saving for the right project. This figure was at the center of a very large tree.
I don't cut trees on our farm but have a bunch of hackberry, some over 30" in diameter. I'll certainly saw them if they come down some day.
JKJ