Pine is stronger and heavier than spruce, but for kayaks the extra strength is probably offset by pine usually having more knots, so that pine strips will probably have more problems with grain running out of the strips.

So it is probably correct that pine will not give any qualities in return for the extra weigth. Besides of this spruce is (in Norway anyway) cheaper than pine.

I will try to get the small sweedish hadbook mentioned in message quoted below. (Norwegians read swedish:-)

Jan Gunnar

> The Swedish Institute for Wood Technology Research (Trätek) has written a
> small book (Träfakta) about different types of wood. I will give you av
> very short summary about pine (Pinus silvestris), spruce (Picea abies) and
> Califoria Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens).

> For a perfect piece of wood, pine is a little bit stronger than spruce.
> But for practical use, for instance building a house, they are equal. Both
> are stronger than California Redwood.

> The center part is lighter and a little weaker than the outer part.

> For pine the density of the top log is about 10% less than the root log.
> Not so for spruce.

> Some density figures (kg/cubicmeter):

> moisture 12%

> Pine 480 - 530

> Spruce 390 - 480

> Redwood 350 - 450

> The Swedish kayak constructor Björn Thomasson has written a book in
> Swedish: Kanotboken. He recommend spruce. I quote and translate:
> "Pine cuold be used but makes the boat heavier without any
> advantages."

> Lennart Berlin