Picking the right wood for a project takes more than just deciding what color might look good for what you envision is your end result. You need the consider wood density, its reaction to different environments and especially its overall cost. One of the ways we can compare different woods is by measuring it on the Janka Scale. The Janka scale measures a woods’ ability to resist denting and wear. To actually test and rank a sample they take a ball bearing that measures specifically 0.444″ across and checks the force required to embed the ball to half of the diameter of the bearing. This image below illustrates a test of “side hardness”.
Below you can see the rankings directly from the Wikipedia article. The hardest wood that ES&S uses with any regularity appears to be Bloodwood with a rating of 2,900lbf. The rest of the more commonly used choices we stock are much farther down on the list. We do turn quite a few bottle toppers out of the rarer imported woods listed here and if you see one you are interested in please let us know!
| Wood Species | Force: Pounds-Force (Newtons) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Buloke[2] | 5,060 lbf (22,500 N) | ||
| Schinopsis brasiliensis, Quebracho, Barauna, Chamacoco[3] | 4,800 lbf (21,000 N) | ||
| Schinopsis balansae, Quebracho Colorado, Red Quebracho[4] | 4,570 lbf (20,300 N) | ||
| Lignum vitae, Guayacan, Pockenholz | 4,500 lbf (20,000 N) | ||
| Piptadenia Macrocarpa, Curupay, Angico Preto, Brazilian Tiger Mahogany | 3,840 lbf (17,100 N) | ||
| Snakewood, Letterhout, Piratinera Guinensis | 3,800 lbf (17,000 N) | ||
| Brazilian Olivewood | 3,700 lbf (16,000 N) | ||
| Brazilian Ebony | 3,692 lbf (16,420 N) | ||
| Ipê, Brazilian Walnut, 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) | ||
| Cumaru, Brazilian Teak | 3,540 lbf (15,700 N) | ||
| Sucupira, Brazilian Chestnut, Tiete Chestnut | 3,417 lbf (15,200 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 | 2,900 lbf (13,000 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[5] | 2,040 lbf (9,100 N) | ||
| Karri | 2,030 lbf (9,000 N) | ||
| Sydney Blue Gum | 2,023 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) | ||
| 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) | ||
| Bangkirai | 1,798 lbf (8,000 N) | ||
| Rosewood | 1,780 lbf (7,900 N) | ||
| African Padauk | 1,725 lbf (7,670 N) | ||
| Blackwood[disambiguation needed] | 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) | ||
| 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) | ||
| 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) | ||
| 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 [6] | 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[7] | 950 lbf (4,200 N) | ||
| Boire | 940 lbf (4,200 N) | ||
| Paper Birch | 910 lbf (4,000 N) | ||
| Eastern Red Cedar | 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[8] | 710 lbf (3,200 N) | ||
| Silver Maple[9] | 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) | ||
| 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) | ||
| Balsa | 100 lbf (440 N) | ||
| Cuipo | 22 lbf (98 N) | ||