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.
What is the hardest wood?
On this chart, Osage orange is the hardest at 2,620 lbf. Kentuckians know it as hedge apple or bodark. Next come hickory and pecan at 1,820 and black locust at 1,700. Those are the hardest woods you'll commonly find from American sawmills. Imported tropical woods like ipe and lignum vitae run much harder, well over 3,000 lbf, and aren't on this chart. The softest woods here are western red cedar and aspen at 350 lbf, with eastern white pine close behind at 380.
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The full 40-species table is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 — use it in a spreadsheet, an app, a class handout, or your own site. Hardness is given in lbf and newtons; density in lb/ft³ and kg/m³.
Cite as: Bluegrass Gifts LLC (2026). Wood Species Janka Hardness and Density Reference (v1.0.0) [Data set]. https://bluegrassgifts.com/pages/wood-hardness-chart
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.
What is the hardest wood in the US?
Among domestic woods you can buy from American sawmills, Osage orange is the hardest on our chart at 2,620 lbf, followed by hickory and pecan at 1,820 and black locust at 1,700.
What is the softest wood?
On our chart, western red cedar and aspen are the softest at 350 lbf, with eastern white pine at 380 and balsam fir at 400. Soft woods carve easily but dent in daily use.