Steve, simple test to conduct, try one with 100% bone and another with 100% wood.

Priorities were 1. Hard wear resistant outer shell on steel, 2. Attractive finish. It doesnt take much bone to activate the process to get hardness.

The assumption can be made that back in the day, bone char was more expensive than wood charcoal, when youre buying it by the ton that can make a difference.

Mike Hunter
www.mikehunterrestorations.com