Lignum Vitae

Lignum Vitae is a type of wood from the genus Guaiacum, sometimes known as Guayacan or Guaiacum, and known as Pockholz or Pokeout in areas of Europe. The trees are native to the Caribbean and the northern coast of South America, and they have been a valuable export crop to Europe since the 16th century. Wood was previously a popular choice for applications that required a material with a unique combination of strength, toughness, and density. It is also the national tree of the Bahamas.

Because of its high density, Lignum Vitae is usually used to make cricket bails, particularly "heavy bails" used in windy days. It's also used to produce croquet mallets, lawn bowls, and skittles balls. The wood has also been used as mortars and pestles, as well as for wood carvers' mallets, in the past.

Due to its density and strength paired with the relative softness of wood compared to metal, it was the traditional wood used for the British police truncheon until recently, tending to bruise or stun rather than merely cutting the flesh.