Black walnut ranks third in hardness - about 20% below
White Oak is one of the harder woods, with a Janka rating of 1360. Red Oak is slightly softer with a rating of 1290. And American or Black Walnut is among the softest hardwoods with a Janka rating of 1010.
Durability. Walnut is rated at a 1010 on the Janka Hardness Scale. European Oak is a 1360 on the same scale. This means that Oak is more durable than Walnut and will stand up better against constant use and daily wear and tear.
Walnut floors usually are softer than oak, as they have a wider grain. However, there are variations in different types of oak and walnut, so it is worth looking at the hardness of the specific variety you are considering.
Maple is harder than oak.
Where you use the hardwood is more important than its density and hardness. Differing sub-species of each variety also play an important role when considering the choices between oak and maple.
On the Janka scale – the system of measuring a wood's hardness – black walnut has a rating of 1010, making it a moderately hard wood. It is somewhat softer than other domestic hardwoods such as oak and maple, so care should be taken to protect high traffic areas.
Walnut wood is a hardwood that is valued for the grain, colour and strength. You can guarantee a smooth finish.
1. Australian Buloke – 5,060 IBF. An ironwood tree that is native to Australia, this wood comes from a species of tree occurring across most of Eastern and Southern Australia. Known as the hardest wood in the world, this particular type has a Janka hardness of 5,060 lbf.
The Janka hardness test that ranks the hardness of woods gives cherry a rating of 950, which is a little less than walnut. Walnut wood has a Janka hardness rating of 1010, pulling it out in front of cherry as the stronger wood of the two.
Walnut is a softer wood than Maple. The benefit of this is that a knife will be much less likely to dull when using this wood, but there is a tradeoff since the softer wood is easier to scratch or dent. Its medium to large pores offer some resistance to bacteria and moisture but not as much as Maple.
Cellulose, the stuff Ma Nature makes her wood with, is heavier than water. The actual wood cells are filled with water and then, after drying, air. The balance of air/water and cellulose determines the weight of the wood. Of course, life ain't all that simple.
It is the seventh hardest in all our sylva and, as to strength in position of a beam, locust is the strongest in North America outside the tropics. It is the stiffest of our woods, exceeding hickory by 40 percent. Of all important hardwoods, black locust shrinks least in drying, losing only 10 percent volume …
Generally acknowledged as the hardest wood, lignum vitae (Guaiacum sanctum and Guaiacum officinale) measures in at 4,500 pounds-force (lbf) on the Janka scale.
Hickory is among the hardest domestic hardwoods with a Janka rating of 1820, while American or Black Walnut is among the softest with a rating of 1010.
It has been widely used in American furniture at all periods, and its durability makes it an excellent choice for heirloom-quality work. Although strong and hard, walnut is easy to work with and is lighter than teak. It also takes finishes well.
You often can substitute a look-alike wood for more than one wood species, such as alder for walnut or cherry, red gum for walnut or mahogany, and yellow poplar for a variety of woods.
The amount of force it takes to embed the ball into the wood is the hardness of the wood. What is this? When yellow birch was tested it was able to withstand 1,260 pounds of force, giving it a 1,260 Janka rating. While North American Walnut measures around 1,010 making birch stronger than walnut wood (Janka Hardness).
Walnut wood is hard, heavy, and resilient, capable of resisting warping and suffering very little shrinkage. The grain is irregular but typically straight with a medium texture. The endgrain is semi-porous with distinct growth rings. Although susceptible to insects, English Walnut is quite resistant to decay.
Common red oak has a Janka hardness of 1220 lbf, meaning it takes 1220 pounds of force to drive the steel ball halfway into the wood. For reference, soft balsa wood requires only 67 lbf and the hardest wood in the world, Australian Buloke, has a Janka hardness of 5060 lbf.
1. Oak. Oak is a gorgeous, classic and extremely dynamic choice. It's also highly dense, making it one of the strongest types of wood for furniture.
Black walnut trees are a popular choice for firewood because they have a high heat value and long burn time. However, the process of seasoning black walnut wood is different from other types of hardwoods. Black walnut firewood usually needs between 1 to 2 years to season properly.
Walnut is not even remotely a "really hard wood" - it cuts quite easily.
Because of the unique color and grain characteristics, walnut has been a prized wood for furniture, cabinets, millwork, flooring and other decorative interior applications, as well as gunstocks.