Janka Hardness Ratings for Various Species of Wood (pounds)
The industry standard method for determining the hardness of wood products is a variation of the
Brinell hardness test called the Janka hardness test. Janka hardness is defined as resistance to indentation using a modified
Janka hardness test, measured by the load required to embed a 11.28-mm (0.444-in.) ball to one-half its diameter. Values presented
are the average of radial and tangential penetrations.(1)
(1) The Wood Handbook - Wood as an engineering material, USDA, General Technical Report 113.
