Rating Hardwood??

[striker]

I have a question for the knowledgable WW's out there. It's not all that important, but I'd just like an idea. How would you rank these American hardwoods as to hardness?

Ash Aspen Birch Cherry Hickory Maple Oak Poplar Walnut

Thanks

Strike

[Kim]

Search the web for "janka hardness scale".

Or look at the info at places like:

[Oregon]

I researched this topic some time ago, and found the "Janka" relative hardness rating for wood. Easily found on the net via Google. See the following. Bigger number...harder wood.

Janka Species

3680 Brazilian Walnut (Ipe) 3540 Brazilian Teak (Cumaru) 3190 Bolivian Cherry (Cerezo) 3000 Brazilian Rosewood (Tamarindo) 2820 Brazilian Cherry (Jatoba) 2473 Spotted Gum 2350 Brazilian Cherry 2345 Mesquite 2300 Caribbean Rosewood 2200 Mahogany 2200 Santos Mahogany 2170 Asian Rosewood 2135 Brushbox 2046 Australian Beech 2023 Karri 2023 Sydney Blue 1925 Merbau 1910 Jarrah 1860 Purpleheart 1820 Pecan 1820 Hickory 1820 Pecan 1725 African Pedauk 1710 Kempas 1686 Rose River Gum 1630 Wenge 1500 Brazilian Maple 1450 Hard maple 1450 North American Maple 1400 Caribbean Walnut 1375 Australian Cypress 1360 White Oak 1350 Tasmanian Oak 1320 White Ash 1300 American Beech 1290 Angelique Teak 1290 Red Oak (Northern) 1260 Yellow Birch 1260 Red Oak 1225 Heart Pine 1155 True Teak 1102 Heritage Oak 1102 Alpine Ash 1010 North American Walnut 1010 Black Walnut 1000 Teak 950 North American Cherry 950 Black Cherry 870 So. Yellow Pine (longleaf) 800 Honduran Mahogany 690 So. Yellow Pine (loblolly & short leaf) 660 Douglas Fir

[Silvan]

Sorting using the list in the back of "Nick Engler's Woodworking Wisdom," by "specific gravity," I come up with:

Hickory Oak (white harder than red) Maple (hard) Birch (yellow) Ash Walnut Maple (soft) Cherry Poplar Aspen

Hickory is the hardest by a wide margin, and aspen is only slightly harder than white pine.