# Janka hardness scale - can you notice it?



## chiffonodd (Jan 17, 2016)

Looking forward to purchasing a block from boardsmith in the near future, but wanted to pick the collective brain of KKF on the Janka hardness scale. Boardsmith lists the following on their woods:

maple - 1450
mahogany - 1220
black walnut - 1010 
Black cherry - 850

Mahogany does not seem to be currently in stock. That leaves maple at 1450, walnut at 1010, and cherry at 850. 

Anything between 850 - 1600 is good, per website. I am leaning toward the cherry because it seems to be the best combination of affordability and character. The 850 hardness would be nicest on knife edges I assume, but is there any noticeable trade off to a softer board within the range? :scratchhead:


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## jacko9 (Jan 17, 2016)

Wood hardness varies from tree to tree and from one growing location to another so, I think what they are reporting is averages on their supply of wood. Unless you are going to be wire brushing or scraping the board all of those woods will yield good results for a cutting board. I personally like maple myself and use it on the cutting boards I make for myself and for my work bench top.


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## ThEoRy (Jan 17, 2016)

Splitting hairs here. Just buy the one you think looks the best.


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## WildBoar (Jan 17, 2016)

x2 Maple is fine for sutting. The cherry/ walnut question is more a balance between your budget and aethetic concerns. The 'sweet spot' for me has been maple with cherry/ walnut borders. We have two that have been beat on daily for over 4 years now and still look pretty new (they are darkened a bit from oiling, which I think makes them look even better).


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## aboynamedsuita (Jan 17, 2016)

chiffonodd said:


> Looking forward to purchasing a block from boardsmith in the near future, but wanted to pick the collective brain of KKF on the Janka hardness scale. Boardsmith lists the following on their woods:
> 
> maple - 1450
> mahogany - 1220
> ...



I was in the same situation back in the summer. Here is my thread:
http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/showthread.php/24249-Maple-Cherry-or-Walnut-for-Cutting-Board?

I went with maple and have no regrets.


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## chiffonodd (Jan 18, 2016)

Well maple it is then! Plus will leave me something extra to pick up an epicurean board for raw proteins :spin chair:


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## Matus (Jan 18, 2016)

My cutting board is made from maple and walnut and feels nicely 'soft'. I have bought an oak (english oak I believe as the board comes from Germany) cutting board and it feels much harder - not only to touch with knife, but also the sound. This is a surprise as the hardnes of english oak should be somewhere between maple and walnut.


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## aboynamedsuita (Jan 18, 2016)

chiffonodd said:


> Well maple it is then! Plus will leave me something extra to pick up an epicurean board for raw proteins :spin chair:



I also got some Epicurean boards, only the standard because the commercial ones aren't readily available in Canada. Was also able to get the 15x19.5 and 18x27 (both with grooves) for cheap


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## WildBoar (Jan 18, 2016)

Janka scale is not that great a predictor, although there really aren't alternatives. We went with wood flooring that was very high up on the scale (>3000) yet it dents almost as easily as the standard red oak that is in the old part of the house. As far as BoardSmith boards are concerned, the end-grain configuration makes the testing less applicable, as the Janka hardness testing is usually/ often done on the side grain -- which will not behave the same.


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## Jovidah (Jan 18, 2016)

Can't talk about these but I think the differences will become rather small when used in an end-grain configuration (considering you're usually splitting rather than cutting fibers). 

But I must say I did really notice the difference when comparing my usual cheapo face-grain beech boards to a newer Ikea face-grain acacia board. Felt really hard and sounded like I was cutting on a ceramic plate...


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## chiffonodd (Jan 18, 2016)

ThEoRy said:


> Splitting hairs here. Just buy the one you think looks the best.



But maybe your knives are easier on boards because they are just a midsection? What type of tape should I use to protect my board when cutting?


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## Castalia (Jan 19, 2016)

:laughat:

But also agree with the end grain info from earlier posts. From Wikipedia:
The Janka hardness test measures the resistance of a sample of wood to denting and wear. It measures the force required to embed an 11.28 mm (.444 in) steel ball into wood to half the ball's diameter. This method leaves an indentation. A common use of Janka hardness ratings is to determine whether a species is suitable for use as flooring.


In an end grain cutting board, this test is not particularly relevant. I heard someone compare end grain wood with the tip of a paintbrush, imagine your knife edge going down into the fibers at the end of a paint brush in contrast with cutting into the side of the brush either along the fibers or perpendicular. In any case, get the one that looks the best.
:knife:


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