Janka Hardness Scale
The Janka scale is used to determine the relative hardness of particular domestic or exotic wood species. The Janka test measures the amount of force required to embed a 0.444″ steel ball into the wood to half of its diameter. Woods with a higher rating are harder than woods with a lower rating. The scale used in the table is pounds-force.
Janka | Species Name |
350 | Buckeye Burl |
380 | Aspen |
410 | Basswood |
470 | Guanacaste (Parota) |
490 | Butternut |
540 | American Chestnut |
540 | Poplar |
540 | Mappa Burl |
600 | Spanish Cedar |
800 | Genuine Mahogany |
850 | Quilted Western Maple |
850 | Western Maple Burl |
850 | Curly Western Maple |
850 | Black Ash |
850 | Western Maple |
891 | Lacewood |
930 | Anigre |
950 | Cherry |
950 | Curly Maple (Red Leaf) |
950 | Cherry Burl |
950 | Maple (Red Leaf) |
950 | Curly Cherry |
950 | Tornillo |
960 | Peruvian Walnut |
1010 | Walnut |
1010 | Figured Walnut |
1020 | Holly |
1055 | Curly Pyinma |
1100 | African Mahogany |
1100 | Figured Mango |
1160 | Thuya Burl |
1170 | Koa |
1200 | Redheart |
1200 | Masur Birch |
1210 | Nicaraguan Rosewood |
1220 | Red Oak |
1220 | Curly Oak |
1220 | Quarter Sawn Red Oak |
1220 | Spalted Oak |
1260 | Birch |
1260 | Flame Birch |
1260 | Birch Burl |
1260 | Amboyna Burl |
1260 | Curly Narra |
1260 | Narra |
1294 | Figured Makore |
1294 | Makore |
1320 | White Ash |
1320 | Curly White Ash |
1320 | Swamp Ash |
1330 | Shedua |
1335 | Quarter Sawn White Oak |
1335 | White Oak |
1350 | Ebiara |
1360 | English Brown Oak |
1400 | Mayan Walnut |
1400 | Eucalyptus |
1439 | Quilted Sapele |
1450 | Birdseye Maple |
1450 | Hard Maple |
1450 | Curly Maple (Hard Maple) |
1450 | Quarter Sawn Maple |
1450 | Bark Pocket Maple |
1450 | Hard Maple Burl |
1450 | Spalted Maple |
1450 | Rift Sawn Hard Maple |
1460 | Madrone Burl |
1500 | Sapele |
1520 | Canarywood |
1548 | Honey Locust |
1560 | Afrormosia |
1712 | Merbau |
1780 | Black & White Ebony |
1800 | Camphor Bush Burl |
1800 | Figured Camphor Bush |
1810 | Afzelia Burl |
1820 | Hickory |
1830 | Zebrawood |
1830 | Figured Zebrawood |
1860 | Jarrah Burl |
1878 | Yellowheart |
1900 | Red Palm |
1930 | Wenge |
1960 | Bolivian Rosewood |
1970 | Padauk |
1970 | Ziricote |
2010 | Bocote |
2020 | Black Palm |
2140 | Sucupira |
2150 | Leopardwood |
2160 | Goncalo Alves |
2200 | Chechen |
2200 | Honduras Rosewood |
2200 | Honduras Rosewood Burl |
2250 | Chakte Viga |
2318 | Spalted Tamarind |
2400 | Osage Orange (Argentine) |
2400 | Santos Mahogany |
2410 | Figured Bubinga |
2410 | Quilted Bubinga |
2410 | Bubinga |
2430 | Cochen Rosewood |
2430 | Indian Ebony |
2440 | E. Indian Rosewood |
2480 | Tamboti |
2490 | Red Mallee Burl |
2490 | Brown Mallee Burl |
2500 | Tulipwood |
2520 | Purpleheart |
2520 | Figured Purpleheart |
2532 | Marblewood |
2620 | Amazon Rosewood |
2690 | Jatoba |
2690 | Olivewood |
2700 | Granadillo |
2760 | Osage Orange (USA) |
2900 | Bloodwood |
2920 | Yellow Box Burl |
2960 | Cocobolo |
3000 | Mun Ebony |
3080 | Gaboon Ebony |
3080 | Royal Ebony |
3160 | Angelim Pedra |
3220 | Macassar Ebony |
3230 | Pink Ivory |
3330 | Cumaru |
3340 | Kingwood |
3340 | Camatillo |
3370 | Grey Box Burl |
3390 | Mopani |
3590 | Brown Ebony |
3660 | Katalox |
3660 | Figured Katalox |
3670 | African Blackwood |
3690 | Brazilian Ebony |
3710 | Lignum Vitae (Argentine) |
3730 | Red Coolibah Burl |
3800 | Snakewood |
4380 | Lignum Vitae (Genuine) |