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Janka Wood Hardness Chart

The Janka hardness chart below ranks 40 common woodworking species by the force (in pounds-force) needed to press a steel ball halfway into the wood — the standard measure of how well a wood resists dents and wear. Density and a working note ride alongside, so one table answers "how hard, how heavy, and what's it like to cut." Values are published averages at roughly 12% moisture content; individual boards vary.

Species ⇅ Janka (lbf) ⇅ Density (lb/ft³) ⇅ Type ⇅ Working notes
Osage orange 2,620 54 Hardwood Among the hardest US natives; eats blades, glows yellow-orange.
Hickory 1,820 51 Hardwood Hardest hardwood in everyday lumberyards; brutal on edges, unmatched for impact strength.
Pecan 1,820 46 Hardwood Hickory family; same toughness, slightly finer figure.
Locust (black) 1,700 48 Hardwood Extremely hard and rot-proof; burns on the saw, pre-drill everything.
Locust (honey) 1,580 47 Hardwood Hard, handsome, underused; machines better than black locust.
Maple (hard) 1,450 44 Hardwood Dense and fine; burns on dull blades, blotches under stain.
Oak (white) 1,350 47 Hardwood Closed pores make it outdoor- and barrel-worthy; machines well.
Ash (white) 1,320 42 Hardwood Tough and springy; bends well, machines cleanly, coarse open grain.
Beech 1,300 45 Hardwood Hard and fine-grained; machines well but moves with humidity.
Birch (yellow) 1,260 43 Hardwood Machines well, blotches under stain without conditioner.
Oak (red) 1,220 44 Hardwood Coarse open grain; machines predictably, not for outdoor use.
Teak 1,070 41 Hardwood Oily and silica-laden; dulls edges fast, king of weather resistance.
Walnut (black) 1,010 38 Hardwood America's premium dark wood; machines beautifully, sands to silk.
Cherry (black) 950 35 Hardwood Machines and sands superbly; famous for burning on the saw, darkens with age.
Maple (soft) 950 38 Hardwood Hard maple's easier sibling; machines well, still plenty hard for furniture.
Cedar (aromatic red) 900 33 Softwood Knotty, aromatic; machines well but knots are brittle.
Mahogany (genuine) 900 37 Hardwood The classic cabinet wood; stable, machines like a dream.
Hackberry 880 37 Hardwood Elm-like; bends and machines well, prone to blue stain.
Sweetgum 850 36 Hardwood Interlocked grain twists as it dries; machines okay when stable.
Elm (American) 830 35 Hardwood Interlocked grain resists splitting - and resists hand planing.
Sycamore 770 34 Hardwood Interlocked grain; quartersawn flecks are striking, planes poorly.
Pine (southern yellow) 690 37 Softwood Hard, resinous construction pine; splinters, hard latewood.
Sassafras 630 31 Hardwood Light, aromatic, coarse; works like chestnut.
Douglas fir 620 34 Softwood Strong for its weight; splinters, hard latewood rings tear out.
Alder (red) 590 28 Hardwood Soft, even texture; machines and sands easily, takes stain uniformly.
Catalpa 550 29 Hardwood Light, rot-resistant hardwood; carves well, coarse grain.
Chestnut (American) 540 30 Hardwood Reclaimed only; coarse, rustic grain, easy working, rot-resistant.
Poplar (yellow) 540 29 Hardwood The paint-grade workhorse; machines cleanly, greenish streaks.
Cypress (bald) 510 32 Softwood Rot-resistant outdoor classic; works easily, old-growth can feel oily.
Spruce (sitka) 510 27 Softwood Best strength-to-weight of the softwoods; splinters, tears out.
Hemlock (eastern) 500 28 Softwood Even texture; brittle, splinters, holds nails poorly.
Butternut 490 27 Hardwood Walnut's soft cousin; carves beautifully, dents easily.
Pine (ponderosa) 460 28 Softwood Even-grained shop pine; knots common, works easily.
Redwood 450 26 Softwood Featherweight outdoor softwood; rot-resistant, splits and dents easily.
Willow (black) 430 26 Hardwood Very soft and light; fuzzes badly, carves and bends well.
Basswood 410 26 Hardwood The carver's wood; cuts like butter, too soft for wear surfaces.
Fir (balsam) 400 26 Softwood Light construction softwood; low strength, works easily.
Pine (eastern white) 380 25 Softwood Soft, stable, easy; dents with a fingernail, sap gums paper.
Aspen 350 27 Hardwood Very soft hardwood; fuzzes when sanded, resists splitting, low strength.
Cedar (western red) 350 23 Softwood Very soft, extremely rot-resistant; splits easily, dusty to sand.

Click a column header to sort. Sources: USDA Forest Products Laboratory Wood Handbook and published industry averages. Density figures match our lumber weight calculator.

How to read Janka numbers

Under about 500 lbf (white pine, cedar, basswood) a fingernail leaves a mark — these woods carve and cut easily but dent in service. The 900–1,400 range (cherry, walnut, oak, maple) is the furniture sweet spot: durable, still machinable. Past 1,700 (hickory, black locust, osage orange) expect dulled edges, mandatory pilot holes, and burn marks from hesitation at the saw. Hardness is not durability outdoors — that's rot resistance, a different property: soft western red cedar outlasts hard red oak in the weather. For picking a sign wood, see our outdoor sign wood guide; for what a load weighs, the lumber weight calculator uses these same densities.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Janka hardness test?

It measures the pounds of force required to embed a 0.444-inch steel ball to half its diameter into a wood sample. Higher numbers mean better dent and wear resistance. It is the standard comparison for flooring and furniture woods.

What is a good Janka rating for furniture?

Roughly 900 to 1,400 lbf — cherry (950), walnut (1,010), red oak (1,220), and hard maple (1,450) all live here. Softer woods work fine for pieces that don't take abuse; harder woods just cost more effort to machine.

Does harder wood mean better outdoor durability?

No. Hardness measures dent resistance; outdoor life depends on decay resistance. Western red cedar is very soft (350 lbf) yet highly rot-resistant, while much harder red oak decays quickly outside.