Wood Database: Technical Profiles, Janka Hardness, and Species Finder

This wood database is designed as a practical reference for woodworkers, designers, builders, and anyone comparing specialty hardwoods for real-world applications. Instead of treating wood selection as guesswork, this page organizes essential wood data such as Janka hardness, origin, working characteristics, key applications, and sourcing notes into one structured resource.

Whether you are looking for a hardwood database, a woodworking database, or a quick way to compare species used in flooring, furniture, instruments, marine construction, and decorative millwork, this guide helps you browse the most relevant information quickly. You can use it as a starting point for material selection, project planning, and comparing premium, figured, sustainable, and specialty wood species.

Professional wood database showing organized collection of specialty wood species — *A practical wood database should help users compare species, technical specs, and best-use cases at a glance.*

🔎 Check out our content:

How to Use This Wood Database

This page works best when used as a species finder and comparison hub. You can browse woods by category, compare hardness and workability, or jump directly to species profiles depending on your application. If you already know the type of project you are building, start with the sections for marine and exterior use, premium furniture, musical instruments, or sustainable options.

If your priority is performance, focus on the technical details in each wood profile. If your priority is appearance, review the figured and specialty hardwood entries. If your priority is sourcing and practicality, pay attention to the working notes, availability, and species category sections below.

What You Will Find in Each Wood Profile

Each species entry in this wood database is organized around the technical information most professionals actually use when selecting material:

Janka hardness rating for dent and wear resistance
Origin and scientific name for species identification
Working characteristics for machining, sanding, and tooling expectations
Finishing and adhesion notes for practical shop use
Key applications to match the wood to the project
Sourcing and availability context for planning and material selection

Technical comparison chart showing wood species hardness density and stability ratings — *Technical wood data such as hardness, density, and stability make material comparisons far more useful than appearance alone.*

Featured Wood Species Database Profiles

The following entries form the core of this curated wood database. They cover premium hardwoods, figured woods, sustainable options, and carving woods commonly referenced by furniture makers, builders, luthiers, and specialty wood buyers.

Premium Hardwood Species

Purpleheart Wood

Scientific Name: Peltogyne spp. Origin: Central and South America Janka Hardness: 2,520 lbf

In this wood database, Purpleheart stands out for its unusual purple heartwood, high density, and excellent durability. It is widely used in premium flooring, inlays, cutting boards, and architectural accents where a strong visual statement matters just as much as wear resistance.

Key Applications: Premium flooring, inlays, cutting boards, architectural accents Working Notes: Requires carbide tooling due to extreme hardness; pre-drilling is essential

Wenge Wood

Scientific Name: Millettia laurentii Origin: Central Africa Janka Hardness: 1,930 lbf

Wenge wood database searches usually come from users looking for a very dark, dramatic hardwood for fine furniture, millwork, and instrument work. Wenge offers bold color contrast and a distinctive grain, but it also demands careful machining and dust protection due to splintering and shop safety concerns.

Key Applications: Luxury furniture, architectural millwork, musical instruments, decorative veneers Working Notes: Splinters easily; requires careful handling and dust protection during machining

Teak

Scientific Name: Tectona grandis Origin: Southeast Asia (plantation grown) Janka Hardness: 1,155 lbf

Teak wood database queries usually reflect a need for durable exterior and marine material. Teak remains a benchmark for weather resistance, dimensional stability, and long service life. Its natural oils and silica contribute to its performance, but also explain why it can dull cutting tools quickly.

Key Applications: Marine construction, exterior furniture, decking, architectural elements Working Notes: Dulls cutting tools rapidly; requires frequent tool maintenance

Ipe Wood

Scientific Name: Handroanthus spp. Origin: Central and South America Janka Hardness: 3,510 lbf

Ipe wood database interest tends to come from builders comparing decking, boardwalk, and structural options. Ipe is one of the densest and most durable woods in this collection, making it ideal for demanding exterior uses where lifespan and performance are more important than ease of machining.

Key Applications: Commercial decking, boardwalks, structural beams, high-traffic flooring Working Notes: Requires specialized carbide tooling; pre-drilling mandatory for all fasteners

Specialty and Figured Hardwoods

Collection of figured and specialty hardwoods showing unique grain patterns — *Figured and specialty hardwoods add a visual layer to the wood database that goes beyond hardness and durability alone.*

Curly Maple

Scientific Name: Acer saccharum (figured) Origin: Eastern North America Janka Hardness: 1,450 lbf

Curly Maple adds figured visual depth to this wood database by showing how appearance can matter as much as technical performance. Its rippled figure, good working characteristics, and finishing potential make it popular for instrument work, fine furniture, and decorative millwork.

Key Applications: Musical instruments, fine furniture, architectural millwork, decorative veneers Working Notes: Figure can cause tear-out; requires sharp tools and careful grain direction awareness

Cocobolo

Scientific Name: Dalbergia retusa Origin: Central America Janka Hardness: 2,750 lbf

Cocobolo is one of the most visually rich entries in this wood database, known for its orange-red coloration, black streaking, and high oil content. It is a luxury material often chosen for handles, instruments, and refined woodworking details where beauty and density are both priorities.

Key Applications: Knife handles, musical instruments, fine woodworking, luxury accessories Working Notes: High oil content requires specialized finishing techniques; may cause allergic reactions

Sapele

Scientific Name: Entandrophragma cylindricum Origin: West Africa Janka Hardness: 1,410 lbf

Sapele offers a mahogany-like look with strong stability and attractive figure potential. In a practical wood database, it serves as a useful reference for projects needing a refined appearance, good value, and consistent performance in cabinetry, millwork, and instrument parts.

Key Applications: Cabinetry, architectural millwork, boat building, musical instruments Working Notes: Interlocked grain requires careful machining to prevent tear-out

Sustainable and Alternative Species

Mango Wood

Scientific Name: Mangifera indica Origin: Tropical regions (sustainable harvest) Janka Hardness: 1,070 lbf

Mango is a strong example of how a modern wood database should also help users evaluate sustainability. Because it comes from fruit tree harvesting, it is often discussed as a more responsible option for furniture, decorative objects, and architectural accents. It also appears frequently in long-tail searches related to Janka hardness and wood properties.

Key Applications: Furniture, decorative items, architectural accents, sustainable construction Working Notes: Requires careful drying to prevent checking; variable grain direction

Olive Wood

Scientific Name: Olea europaea Origin: Mediterranean region Janka Hardness: 1,200 lbf

Olive Wood brings visual character and historical appeal to this hardwood database. Its irregular grain, decorative look, and suitability for bowls, kitchenware, and artistic objects make it a useful option when function and appearance need to work together.

Key Applications: Kitchenware, decorative bowls, specialty furniture, artistic projects Working Notes: Irregular grain requires sharp tools; natural oils affect finishing

Carving and Specialty Application Woods

Basswood

Scientific Name: Tilia americana Origin: Eastern North America Janka Hardness: 410 lbf

Basswood is included in this wood database because not every project benefits from extreme hardness. For carving, pattern making, models, and fine detail work, Basswood remains one of the easiest and most reliable species to use.

Key Applications: Carving, musical instruments, pattern making, architectural models Working Notes: Soft nature requires sharp tools to prevent compression; excellent paint adhesion

Browse This Wood Database by Application

If you are not starting from species name alone, you can use this wood database by project type instead:

Marine and Exterior Use: Teak, Ipe Wood

Premium Furniture and Decorative Millwork: Wenge Wood, Purpleheart Wood, Curly Maple, Sapele

Musical Instruments and Fine Shop Work: Cocobolo, Sapele, Basswood, Curly Maple

Sustainable and Alternative Options: Mango Wood, Olive Wood

Compare Woods by Hardness and Working Characteristics

Another practical way to use this page is as a wood database organized by performance level:

Ultra-Hard (2,500+ lbf): Ipe Wood, Purpleheart Wood, Cocobolo
Hard (1,400-2,500 lbf): Wenge Wood, Curly Maple, Sapele
Moderate (1,000-1,400 lbf): Teak, Mango Wood, Olive Wood
Soft (<1,000 lbf): Basswood

Easy Machining: Basswood, Mango Wood, Sapele

Challenging or Specialty Tooling Required: Ipe Wood, Purpleheart Wood, Cocobolo

Finishing Considerations: Teak, Cocobolo, Olive Wood

Sourcing, Quality, and Safety Notes

A useful wood database should do more than list species and hardness values. It should also help users make better decisions about availability, grading, safety, and project planning. Several of the woods on this page have special sourcing considerations, conservation-related restrictions, or handling issues that matter in professional use.

Sourcing and Availability

Specialty woods often vary by regional availability, import status, plantation sourcing, and seasonal supply. Planning ahead is especially important when selecting premium hardwoods for furniture, marine work, and architectural projects.

Quality Grading Standards

For professional work, understanding moisture content, milling quality, defect classifications, figure intensity, and dimensional tolerances is just as important as knowing the species name.

Working Safety Protocols

Some species in this database require extra care because of splintering, dust, oils, or sensitization risk. Proper dust collection, eye protection, sharp tools, and awareness of species-specific handling needs all improve both shop safety and project quality.

Final Thoughts

This wood database is most useful when treated as a working reference rather than a simple article. It brings together species identification, technical properties, Janka hardness, application notes, and working characteristics so you can compare woods more intelligently. Whether you are researching the wood database, evaluating a specific species profile, or comparing hardwoods for a real project, this page is designed to help you move from general browsing to better material decisions.