With our last wood hardness chart, several noted that there were certain woods missing that should be in the list, so we’ve expanded the list to 224 different species.
Is this list complete? That’s where you come in.
We’ve tried in our best effort to get this list as complete as possible, but of course there will probably be a few species missing. If there is a species you would like to see listed that isn’t in the list below, just post a comment and be sure to list the wood species name and Janka hardness number along with it (and country of origin, if possible.)
Entries in red are some of the woods builders commonly search for when researching wood species to build with.
Additional notes:
Some wood species are spelled in unique ways, and to the best of our knowledge, all species listed below are spelled correctly. If not, please let us know by posting a comment.
It is important to note that Janka hardness does not take into account wood density nor weight. For example, certain species of Ash are inconsistent where one piece may be heavy while another may be light in weight. Alder on the other hand is usually very consistent as far as its weight is concerned from piece to piece.
The list below is sorted by hardness, softest to lightest. Also note that we’ve not yet included all the woods from the last chart listed; those will be inserted below soon.
| Wood Species | Hardness |
| Aspen (Quaking) |
350
|
| Buckeye (Yellow) |
350
|
| Buckeye Burl |
350
|
| Basswood |
367
|
| Eastern White Pine |
380
|
| Basswood (American) |
410
|
| Aspen (Big Tooth) |
420
|
| White Pine |
420
|
| Aspen |
432
|
| Guanacaste (Parota) |
470
|
| Butternut |
490
|
| Black Limba / Korina | 500 |
| Hemlock |
500
|
| Banak |
510
|
| American Chestnut |
540
|
| Chestnut |
540
|
| Mappa Burl |
540
|
| Poplar |
540
|
| Red Pine |
560
|
| Alder (Red) |
590
|
| Larch |
590
|
| Spanish Cedar |
600
|
| Douglas Fir |
660
|
| Southern Yellow Pine (short leaf) |
690
|
| Shedua |
710
|
| Box Elder |
720
|
| Birch (Grey) |
760
|
| Sycamore |
770
|
| Parana |
780
|
| Genuine Mahogany |
800
|
| Leopardwood |
840
|
| Ash (Black) |
850
|
| Curly Western Maple |
850
|
| Quilted Western Maple |
850
|
| Western Maple Burl |
850
|
| Southern Yellow Pine (longleaf) |
870
|
| Lacewood |
891
|
| Cedar |
900
|
| Birch (Paper) |
910
|
| Anigre |
930
|
| Boire |
940
|
| Cherry |
950
|
| Cherry Burl |
950
|
| Curly Cherry |
950
|
| Curly Maple (Red Leaf) |
950
|
| Maple (Red Leaf) |
950
|
| Peruvian Walnut |
960
|
| Ash (Pumpkin) |
990
|
| Pink Ivory |
995
|
| Sakura |
995
|
| Teak |
1000
|
| Black Walnut |
1010
|
| Walnut |
1010
|
| Albarco |
1020
|
| Holly |
1020
|
| Boreal |
1023
|
| Curly Pyinma |
1055
|
| Avodire |
1080
|
| African Mahogany |
1100
|
| Figured Mango |
1100
|
| Brazilian Eucalyptus |
1125
|
| Andiroba |
1130
|
| Thuya Burl |
1155
|
| Ash (Oregon) |
1160
|
| Koa |
1170
|
| Ash (Green) |
1200
|
| Redheart |
1200
|
| Movingui |
1230
|
| Chakte Viga |
1250
|
| Birch |
1260
|
| Birch (Yellow) |
1260
|
| Birch Burl |
1260
|
| Flame Birch |
1260
|
| Angelique |
1290
|
| Curly Oak |
1290
|
| Quarter Sawn Red Oak |
1290
|
| Red Oak |
1290
|
| Red Oak (Northern) |
1290
|
| Spalted Oak |
1290
|
| Figured Makore |
1294
|
| American Beech |
1300
|
| Ash (White) |
1320
|
| Black Ash |
1320
|
| Curly White Ash |
1320
|
| Swamp Ash |
1320
|
| White Ash |
1320
|
| Quarter Sawn White Oak |
1335
|
| Ribbon Gum |
1349
|
| Agathis | 1350 |
| Ebiara |
1350
|
| Tasmanian Oak |
1350
|
| English Brown Oak |
1360
|
| White Oak |
1360
|
| Australian Cypress |
1375
|
| Natural Bamboo |
1380
|
| Coffee Bean |
1390
|
| Mayan Walnut |
1400
|
| Quilted Sapele |
1439
|
| Tulipwood |
1441
|
| Bark Pocket Maple |
1450
|
| Birdseye Maple |
1450
|
| Curly Maple (Hard Maple) |
1450
|
| Hard Maple |
1450
|
| Hard Maple Burl |
1450
|
| Quarter Sawn Maple |
1450
|
| Rift Sawn Hard Maple |
1450
|
| Spalted Maple |
1450
|
| Brazilian Oak |
1460
|
| Madrone Burl |
1460
|
| Birch (Sweet) |
1470
|
| Curupixa |
1490
|
| Brazilian Maple |
1500
|
| Sapele |
1500
|
| Kambala |
1540
|
| Nicaraguan Rosewood |
1540
|
| Honey Locust |
1548
|
| Peroba |
1557
|
| Afromosia |
1560
|
| Timborana |
1570
|
| Black Palm |
1600
|
| Red Palm |
1600
|
| Tualang |
1624
|
| Wenge |
1630
|
| Figured Zebrawood |
1658
|
| Zebrawood |
1658
|
| Highland Beech |
1686
|
| African Blackwood |
1700
|
| Locust |
1700
|
| Kempas |
1710
|
| Merbau |
1712
|
| Angelim |
1720
|
| Blackwood |
1720
|
| African Pedauk |
1725
|
| Apple |
1730
|
| Angelin |
1750
|
| Benge |
1750
|
| Black & White Ebony |
1780
|
| E. Indian Rosewood |
1780
|
| Honduras Rosewood |
1780
|
| Honduras Rosewood Burl |
1780
|
| Rosewood |
1780
|
| Bangkirai |
1798
|
| Afzelia |
1810
|
| Afzelia Burl |
1810
|
| Doussie |
1810
|
| Hickory |
1820
|
| Pecan |
1820
|
| Satinwood |
1820
|
| Goncalo Alves |
1850
|
| Tigerwood |
1850
|
| Jarrah Burl |
1860
|
| Yellowheart |
1878
|
| Jarrah |
1910
|
| Amendoin |
1912
|
| Tallowwood |
1933
|
| Cameron |
1940
|
| Bubinga |
1980
|
| Canarywood |
2000
|
| Sydney Blue Gum |
2023
|
| Ash (Blue) |
2030
|
| Kari |
2030
|
| Moabi |
2050
|
| South American Pearwood |
2100
|
| Brushbox |
2135
|
| Sucupira |
2140
|
| Amboyna Burl |
2170
|
| Curly Narra |
2170
|
| Pradoo |
2170
|
| Bocote |
2200
|
| Cabreuva |
2200
|
| Chechen |
2200
|
| Santos Mahogany |
2200
|
| Ziricote |
2200
|
| Padauk |
2219
|
| Tatajuba |
2220
|
| Cocobolo |
2250
|
| Cochen Rosewood |
2260
|
| Tornillo |
2299
|
| Spalted Tamarind |
2318
|
| Mesquite |
2345
|
| Jatoba |
2350
|
| Bolivian Rosewood |
2400
|
| Osage Orange (Argentine) |
2400
|
| Granadillo |
2450
|
| Spotted Gum |
2473
|
| Brown Mallee Burl |
2490
|
| Red Mallee Burl |
2490
|
| Figured Purpleheart |
2520
|
| Purpleheart |
2520
|
| Marblewood |
2532
|
| Amazon Rosewood |
2620
|
| Figured Bubinga |
2628
|
| Quilted Bubinga |
2628
|
| Red Mahogany |
2697
|
| Turpentine |
2697
|
| Olivewood |
2740
|
| Osage Orange (USA) |
2760
|
| Bloodwood |
2900
|
| Yellow Box Burl |
2920
|
| Mopani |
2940
|
| Tamboti |
2940
|
| Angelim Pedra |
3040
|
| Brazilian Redwood |
3190
|
| Paraju |
3190
|
| Tiete Rosewood |
3200
|
| Ebony |
3220
|
| Gaboon Ebony |
3220
|
| Indian Ebony |
3220
|
| Macassar Ebony |
3220
|
| Mun Ebony |
3220
|
| Camatillo |
3340
|
| Kingwood |
3340
|
| Azobe |
3350
|
| Grey Box Burl |
3370
|
| Cumaru |
3540
|
| Figured Katalox |
3620
|
| Katalox |
3620
|
| Ipe |
3680
|
| Brazilian Ebony |
3690
|
| Red Coolibah Burl |
3730
|
| Snakewood |
3800
|
| Brown Ebony |
3860
|
| Lignum Vitae (Argentine) |
4000
|
| Lignum Vitae (Genuine) |
4400
|
Balsa?
This is a pretty complete chart but could you please add pau ferro. It is a pretty common fingerboard wood. Thanks.
Same as Bolivian Rosewood
Paulownia Janka Hardness: 300 lbf
What about agathis? Would that be considered and if so where would it be on the scale? Seems more and more guitars are coming out in this wood…
I have about an acre of red pine and have had some sawn for some projects,no way that red pine is harder than cherry or walnut!! no way!!!
Corrected, thank you!
What about nato?
Agathis?
added!
How about also listing which are protected or no longer available.
White Oak is in there twice with two different measures. It looks like the most common that I see is the harder of the two (1360)
Will fix, thanks!
When it comes to white oak, you might have multiple measures because of different species, but the most remarkable difference is between the standard white oaks and the live oaks of the southeastern US.
Live oak wood has such incredible density and resilience that they became a major source for the construction of naval warships in the 1700’s. A hull made of live-oak of sufficient thickness could absorb a direct cannonball strike! Even standard white oak planks couldn’t match that strength. During the Revolutionary War, one strategic advantage the US had was the supply of live oak for our own sailing ships, and also as a trade good with France so they could make warships that countered the British at sea.
fixed!
What about LIME, not with a gin, (which is nice). I’m using it at the moment for body wings on a thru’ neck bass. It is so easy to work and has quite good figuring. Don’t know how hard it is, but I’ll let you how it sounds when I’ve finished the build.
I did not see Black or White Limba
I want to know about that also.
added!
I checked with Woodworkers Source and found Black Limba at 490
and Korina (white Limba) at the same.
Wenge?
Wenge is there, but Black Limba and White Limba (Korina) are VERY common tonewoods that I didn’t see on here.
added!
Ironbark 3147 lbf
How about Brazilian Goncalo Alves a beautiful wood which is very hard and I”ve used for fret boards.
Jabon
Body wood for the S.U.B. Sterling Ray4 and 5
Janka: 600
Scientific name: Neolamarckia Cadamba
Resources: http://www.globalspecies.org/ntaxa/1087381
http://uses.plantnet-project.org/en/Anthocephalus_(PROSEA)
https://www.talkbass.com/threads/sterling-by-music-man-sub-ray4-and-ray5-part-2.1039748/page-21
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neolamarckia_cadamba
I am curious if the Huckleberry tree is an available hardness!!!
Ive recently used acacia wood to make a beautiful bass. any info on that wood.
Spruce???
What about blackthorn(Prunus spinosa)? Typically used in making shillelaghs.
Also curious as to the hardness of huckleberry. It grows much larger here in Florida than further north.
Nato and Pau Ferro
Mora aka Nato aka Eastern Mahogany. Janka Hardness: 2,300 lbf
Brazilian Rosewood?
I can’t find pear or peach tree wood anywhere. It would be interesting to know how those two fruit trees stack up.
Pear is around 7300N, about 1650lbft.
I have Peach timber and trees but no means to test it but it’s about same as European wild cherry, maybe a tad harder when I push my thumbnail into it.
american cypress
puriri tree of New Zealand
I’m surprised that a tree as common as the elm was left off the list. And what could be harder than a tree named ironwood?
Various sources report:
Black Ironwood. (Krugiodendron ferreum) 3,660 as opposed to Elm (American) 830
Someone else recently asked about fruit tree woods:
Pear 1160 Mango 1070 Peach 1500 — various sources
Apple 1730 (from chart above)
They’re “hardwoods” but not hard to work with, as the hardness rating isn’t above 2000
I was looking for that too. Ironwood spikes were used in place of iron spikes in cabin building because they were so hard. When I was a kid I make a practice katana out of ironwood, but it has disappeared with my parents moving a couple times since then.
I’m also curious about Acacia.
Acacia is the newest thing. Lowes has them for countertops. Not sure which Acacia they are using. Would love to have all the Acacia woods listed for hardness.
Bush Honey suckle. I have 4″ trunks that I have cut hobby wood. The wood is very heavy, hard and the scrap branches burn very hot. How hard is this “Lonicera maackii”
Persimmon wood? This is what the good wood golf heads were made from in the past. I still have sets of these my dad bought for his dad that I played in high school even. It’s very hard and doesn’t crack with repetitive use at high swing speeds. The cheap woods all broke and split from his time alone let alone being played.
How about willow?
Cedar? 900? I’m afraid that is way out of line. Who would post that?
How about this same list, but arranged ALPHABETICALLY? That would make a specific variety of wood much easier to find…
Spruce?
Dear Sir;. I did not see Blackthorn? My original question is which is a harder wood? Hickory Hickory Heat or Thor wood? Thank you ?
A couple of people asked about “acacia”. Unfortunately, Acacia is a genus of over 900 different species. There are also several hundred more species that used to be considered part of the Acacia genus until 2011. The properties of different species range from moderately hard woods around 1100 or so on the Janka scale all the way up to some of the hardest and heaviest woods in the world, like Waddywood at over 4600 on the Janka scale. So you’d need to know exactly which acacia you’re talking about in order to get any detailed properties of the wood. I’ve seen at least two different species referred to as simply “Acacia”. One was Australian Blackwood (Acacia Melanoxlyn) which is around 1160 on the Janka scale. The other I’m not 100% sure, but I believe may be Mangium (Acacia Mangium) which is around 1430. Another common species might be Koa, which is a Hawaiian species and similar to Australian Blackwood in hardness and appearance. There are a bunch of different acacia species described on the wood database, so your best bet is to look there and see what best matches the wood you actually have. Alternatively, talk to the people you bought the wood from to see if they have any more information on exactly which acacia species they’re selling you.
Buckthorn! Rhamnus cathartica
Harvest this restricted noxious free wood and put it to some use.
I have a lot of pin oak on my farm and would like to no the hardness of it. I could literally stand on a 1“ x 1“ piece and it holds my way and I’m 180 pounds it flexes really well got a lot of fibers in it.also when u split it sometimes that’s not where she comes apart ?
Hornbeam
Ironwood was asked above. I’d like to add ironwood burl. Acquired from Jantz Knife.
Manzanita?
Common Name(s): Desert Ironwood
Scientific Name: Olneya tesota
Distribution: Southwestern United States and Northwestern Mexico
Tree Size: 20-30 ft (6-10 m) tall, 1-2 ft (.3-.6 m) trunk diameter
Average Dried Weight: About 75 lbs/ft3 (1,210 kg/m3)
Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): ~.97, ~1.21
Janka Hardness: 3,260 lbf (14,500 N) (Only the sharpest, hardest blades will cut it.
Plan to sharpen tools often.)
Modulus of Rupture: 10,880 lbf/in2 (75.0 MPa)
Elastic Modulus: No data available
Crushing Strength: No data available
Shrinkage: No data available; reported to be very stable in service
Reportedly toxic – use proper PPE if working with it.
I would like to see Canary Island Pine (I had it made into cabinets and flooring) and the Ficus trees seen around Los Angeles. Many mature Ficus were removed that lined Robertson Blvd until people created an uproar and it was stopped. (The City was taking them down because of cracking in the sidewalks.) These trees also line Colorado Blvd in Pasadena especially East of San Gabriel Blvd and are large and provide excellent shade.
Thanks so much for the time, effort, and energy to put this list together! For me, it’s just interesting to see the different wood types of the world, and their comparisons to one another. Thank you so much!
Be nice to have a search option .. or did I miss that.
Being as it’s just a table, you can easily use ‘Edit’, ‘Find in this page’ in the (Firefox) browser drop down menu.
How about willow
what about plum—am turning it and it is very heavy
Apricot, please.
I didn’t see Redwood, so I looked it up. It comes in at 420
I am wondering about mesquite. it is very hard, wonderful to work with, and beautiful. Does anyone know how good that would be in any kind of guitar?
Labernum? Laurel? Hawthorn, Privet – the hedge wood – is horrible wood but very hard.
And Greenheart, ships in at 2,530 lbf! You can’t leave Yew out, beautiful grain, European Yew is 1,520 lbf
How about crepe Myrtle and hackberry?
Add Japanese Cypress aka Hinoki please. Reputedly soft, ease on knife edges.