Its a regional thing.
My ladder is light weight, but I would put over 300 pounds on it, second 
step from top, easy.  It might have been a little loose in the 
fasteners, but the wood was in no danger of failure.
Its very strong.
    Its just doug fir, but its a pretty good grade of fir.
But then, this is where it comes from. Right here. We grow it.  I am 
surrounded with it by 500 miles.

Fir is one of those woods that is wildly variable.
  They'll call anything fir. They will label 20 year old plantation 
plants (not even trees yet) doug fir,
saw it up,  and make things from it!

     There are also, ahem,  other grades of the stuff.

Maybe you'd be so kind as to count the lines per inch on this? heeheh
http://users.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/images/shop%20pix/dougfir.jpg

I made this from doug fir.
and, that's a 65 watt Peavey Bandit amp.
http://users.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/images/house/ampstand1.jpg
http://users.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/images/house/ampstand2.jpg
http://users.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/images/house/ampstand3.jpg

Its particularly fine grain and tough fir. Not all the fine grain fir is 
tough either, in case you don't live in a forest full of it.
      Some of it is quite hard and tough and you just have to get used 
to it I guess.

     I am not sure how to tell you the ways you can tell if its tough. 
Before you get all the way into it.
  Jam a thumbnail into it for sure. If you jam a thumbnail in, its not 
the stuff.  You might dent it a little but thats it. Pay attention to 
the grain of course. Pay very close attention to the grain.
  Working it you'll know real quick. Sawing planing etc.  you'll know.
      yours Scott

-- 
*******************************
    Scott Grandstaff
    Box 409 Happy Camp, Ca  96039
    scottg@s...
    http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/
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