Wood Janka Hardness Comparison Calculator

Janka Hardness Test

The Janka hardness test measures the force required to embed an 11.28 mm (0.444 in) steel ball halfway into a wood specimen. Result is reported in pounds-force (lbf) or newtons (N).

Why it matters:

• Higher Janka = harder, more dent-resistant, harder to work with hand tools
• Lower Janka = softer, easier to carve, dents more easily
• Direct predictor of flooring durability and tool handle longevity

Common wood Janka ratings (lbf):

Black walnut is the one people expect to see higher. At 1,010 lbf it is barely harder than cherry, and softer than red oak, despite being the premium furniture timber in North America. Hardness and value have very little to do with each other.

Interpreting Janka for projects:

Flooring durability:

• Below 1,000: too soft for residential flooring (dents easily)
• 1,000-1,500: good residential flooring (oak, maple)
• 1,500-2,500: excellent durability (hickory, brazilian cherry)
• Over 2,500: commercial / high-traffic: overkill for most homes

Furniture:

• Cherry (950) and walnut (1,010): perfect for chairs, tables: easy to work, attractive
• Hard maple (1,450): countertops, butcher blocks: high stain resistance
• Oak (1,290-1,360): traditional furniture, doors

Carving / hand tools:

• Below 800: ideal for hand carving (basswood, butternut)
• 800-1,200: workable with sharp gouges (cherry, walnut)
• Over 1,500: power tools mostly (oak, maple)

Tool handles:

• Hickory (1,820): the gold standard: axe, hammer handles
• Ash (1,320): bats, rake handles
• Oak (1,290): tool boxes, mallets

Outdoor decking:

• Cumaru (3,540), Ipe (3,684): premium exotic decking: outlasts pressure-treated 4-5×
• Cedar / redwood: low Janka but rot-resistant, traditional choice

Density vs Janka: Density (lb/ft³) and Janka usually correlate, in that denser woods hit higher Janka, but not always. Some dense woods (e.g., hickory) have unusually high Janka for their weight class due to wood structure.

Working caveats:

• Higher Janka requires sharper tools, slower feed rates, more frequent blade replacement
• Some hard woods (ipe, cumaru) blunt blades fast: use carbide or replace HSS regularly
• Drilling pilot holes is essential at Janka over 1,500: wood splits otherwise