Wood hardness is commonly measured with the Janka Wood Rating. Check out the info list below (sourced via Wikipedia).
The Janka hardness test was created by Austrian-born American researcher Gabriel Janka (1864–1932). This system measures the resistance of a sample of wood to denting and wear. It measures the force required to embed an 11.28-millimeter-diameter (7⁄16 in) steel ball halfway into a sample of wood. (The diameter was chosen to produce a circle with an area of 100 square millimeters, or one square centimeter).
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- Australian Buloke 5,060 lbf (22,500 N)
- Schinopsis brasiliensis, Quebracho, Barauna, Chamacoco 4,800 lbf (21,000 N)
- Schinopsis balansae, Quebracho Colorado, Red Quebracho 4,570 lbf (20,300 N)
- Lignum vitae, Guayacan, Pockholz 4,500 lbf (20,000 N)
- Anadenanthera colubrina var. cebil, Curupay, Angico Preto, Brazilian Tiger Mahogany 3,840 lbf (17,100 N)
- Snakewood, Letterhout, Brosimum guianense 3,800 lbf (17,000 N)
- Brazilian Olivewood 3,700 lbf (16,000 N)
- Brazilian Ebony 3,700 lbf (16,000 N)
- Ipê, Brazilian Walnut, Handroanthus lapacho 3,684 lbf (16,390 N)
- African Pearwood, Moabi 3,680 lbf (16,400 N)
- Grey Ironbark 3,664 lbf (16,300 N)
- Bolivian Cherry 3,650 lbf (16,200 N)
- Lapacho 3,640 lbf (16,200 N)
- Sucupira, Brazilian Chestnut, Tiete Chestnut 3,417 lbf (15,200 N)
- Kingwood 3,340 lbf (14,900 N)
- Dipteryx, Cumaru, Brazilian Teak 3,330 lbf (14,800 N)
- Ironwood 3,260 lbf (14,500 N)
- Ebony 3,220 lbf (14,300 N)
- Massaranduba, Brazilian Redwood, Paraju 3,190 lbf (14,200 N)
- Yvyraro 3,040 lbf (13,500 N)
- Strand Woven Bamboo 3,000 lbf (13,000 N)
- Cocobolo 2,960 lbf (13,200 N)
- Bloodwood (Brosimum rubescens) 2,900 lbf (13,000 N)
- Boxwood 2,840 lbf (12,600 N)
- Olive[10] 2,710 lbf (12,100 N)
- Red Mahogany, Turpentine 2,697 lbf (12,000 N)
- Live Oak 2,680 lbf (11,900 N)
- Southern Chestnut 2,670 lbf (11,900 N)
- Spotted Gum 2,473 lbf (11,000 N)
- Brazilian Cherry, Jatoba 2,350 lbf (10,500 N)
- Mesquite 2,345 lbf (10,430 N)
- Golden Teak 2,330 lbf (10,400 N)
- Guatambú, Kyrandy, Balfourodendron riedelianum 2,240 lbf (10,000 N)
- Santos Mahogany, Bocote, Cabreuva, Honduran Rosewood 2,200 lbf (9,800 N)
- Pradoo 2,170 lbf (9,700 N)
- Brazilian Koa 2,160 lbf (9,600 N)
- Brushbox 2,135 lbf (9,500 N)
- Osage Orange 2,040 lbf (9,100 N)
- Karri 2,030 lbf (9,000 N)
- Sydney Blue Gum 2,023 lbf (9,000 N)
- Palmyra Palm 2,020 lbf (9,000 N)
- Bubinga 1,980 lbf (8,800 N)
- Cameron 1,940 lbf (8,600 N)
- Tallowwood 1,933 lbf (8,600 N)
- Merbau 1,925 lbf (8,560 N)
- Amendoim 1,912 lbf (8,500 N)
- Jarrah 1,910 lbf (8,500 N)
- Coconut Palm 1,900 lbf (8,500 N)
- Purpleheart 1,860 lbf (8,300 N)
- Goncalo Alves, Tigerwood 1,850 lbf (8,200 N)
- Hickory, Pecan, Satinwood 1,820 lbf (8,100 N)
- Afzelia, Doussie, Australian Wormy Chestnut 1,810 lbf (8,100 N)
- Castello boxwood 1,810 lbf (8,100 N)
- Bangkirai 1,798 lbf (8,000 N)
- Rosewood 1,780 lbf (7,900 N)
- Apple 1,730 lbf (7,700 N)
- African Padauk 1,725 lbf (7,670 N)
- Blackwood 1,720 lbf (7,700 N)
- Merbau 1,712 lbf (7,620 N)
- Kempas 1,710 lbf (7,600 N)
- Black Locust 1,700 lbf (7,600 N)
- Highland Beech 1,686 lbf (7,500 N)
- Red Mulberry 1,680 lbf (7,500 N)
- Wenge, Red Pine, Hornbeam 1,630 lbf (7,300 N)
- Tualang 1,624 lbf (7,220 N)
- Zebrawood 1,575 lbf (7,010 N)
- True Pine, Timborana 1,570 lbf (7,000 N)
- Peroba 1,557 lbf (6,930 N)
- European Yew 1,520 lbf (6,800 N)
- Sapele, Sapelli, Kupa’y 1,510 lbf (6,700 N)
- Curupixa 1,490 lbf (6,600 N)
- Sweet Birch 1,470 lbf (6,500 N)
- Hard maple, Sugar Maple 1,450 lbf (6,400 N)
- Caribbean Walnut 1,390 lbf (6,200 N)
- Kentucky coffeetree 1,390 lbf (6,200 N)
- Natural Bamboo (represents one species) 1,380 lbf (6,100 N)
- Australian Cypress 1,375 lbf (6,120 N)
- White Oak 1,360 lbf (6,000 N)
- Tasmanian oak 1,350 lbf (6,000 N)
- Ribbon Gum 1,349 lbf (6,000 N)
- Ash (White) 1,320 lbf (5,900 N)
- American Beech 1,300 lbf (5,800 N)
- Red Oak (Northern) 1,290 lbf (5,700 N)
- Caribbean Heart Pine 1,280 lbf (5,700 N)
- Keruing 1,270 lbf (5,600 N)
- Yellow Birch, Iroko 1,260 lbf (5,600 N)
- Movingui 1,230 lbf (5,500 N)
- Heart pine 1,225 lbf (5,450 N)
- Carapa guianensis, Brazilian Mesquite 1,220 lbf (5,400 N)
- Larch 1,200 lbf (5,300 N)
- Carbonized Bamboo (represents one species) 1,180 lbf (5,200 N)
- Teak 1,155 lbf (5,140 N)
- Brazilian Eucalyptus, Rose Gum 1,125 lbf (5,000 N)
- English Oak 1,120 lbf (5,000 N)
- Makore 1,100 lbf (4,900 N)
- Siberian Larch 1,100 lbf (4,900 N)
- Peruvian Walnut 1,080 lbf (4,800 N)
- Boreal 1,023 lbf (4,550 N)
- Black Walnut, North American Walnut 1,010 lbf (4,500 N)
- Cherry 995 lbf (4,430 N)
- Black Cherry, Imbuia 950 lbf (4,200 N)
- Red Maple 950 lbf (4,200 N)
- Boire 940 lbf (4,200 N)
- Paper Birch 910 lbf (4,000 N)
- Eastern Red Cedar, Monkeypod 900 lbf (4,000 N)
- Southern Yellow Pine (Longleaf) 870 lbf (3,900 N)
- Lacewood, Leopardwood 840 lbf (3,700 N)
- African Mahogany 830 lbf (3,700 N)
- Mahogany, Honduran Mahogany 800 lbf (3,600 N)
- Parana 780 lbf (3,500 N)
- Sycamore 770 lbf (3,400 N)
- Box Elder 720 lbf (3,200 N)
- Shedua 710 lbf (3,200 N)
- Radiata Pine 710 lbf (3,200 N)
- Silver Maple 700 lbf (3,100 N)
- Southern Yellow Pine (Loblolly and Shortleaf) 690 lbf (3,100 N)
- Douglas Fir 660 lbf (2,900 N)
- Western Juniper 626 lbf (2,780 N)
- Alder (Red) 590 lbf (2,600 N)
- Larch 590 lbf (2,600 N)
- Chestnut 540 lbf (2,400 N)
- Yellow Poplar, Poplar 540 lbf (2,400 N)
- Hemlock 500 lbf (2,200 N)
- Western White Pine 420 lbf (1,900 N)
- Basswood 410 lbf (1,800 N)
- Eastern White Pine 380 lbf (1,700 N)
- Western Red Cedar 350 lbf (1,600 N)
- Cuipo 75 lbf (330 N)
- Balsa 70 lbf (310 N)
- Balsa, softest wood ever measured: single unusual example 22 lbf (98 N)
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