Walnut vs cherry
Black walnut and black cherry are the two classic American furniture woods. Walnut is a little harder and heavier, and it is walnut, not cherry, that moves more across a flatsawn board.
- Black walnut is about 6% harder than black cherry.
- Black walnut is about 10% heavier than black cherry.
- Black walnut has about 10% more movement across a flatsawn board than black cherry.
Each column is the species its page leads with: black walnut for walnut, black cherry for cherry.
Side by side
| Property | Walnut | Cherry |
|---|---|---|
| Janka hardness, 12% MC | 1,010 lbf | 950 lbf |
| Weight, 12% MC | 38.5 lb/ft³ (616 kg/m³) | 35 lb/ft³ (560 kg/m³) |
| Specific gravity, 12% MC | 0.55 | 0.50 |
| Tangential shrinkage | 7.8% | 7.1% |
| Radial shrinkage | 5.5% | 3.7% |
| 12 in flatsawn board, 6% → 12% MC | 0.197 in | 0.179 in |
| 12 in quartersawn board, 6% → 12% MC | 0.137 in | 0.091 in |
| Bending strength (MOR), 12% MC | 14,600 psi | 12,300 psi |
| Stiffness (MOE), 12% MC | 1.68 million psi | 1.49 million psi |
| Crushing strength, 12% MC | 7,580 psi | 7,110 psi |
One source: USDA Forest Products Laboratory, the authority for species properties it measured
Wood Handbook Tables 5-3b, 4-3 and 13-5; weight and movement worked with its Eqs. 4-14 and 13-3. A dash means the Handbook prints no value.
What sets them apart
- Movement
- The Handbook says black cherry has moderately high shrinkage but is very dimensionally stable once dried, and that black walnut is stable in use. Between 6% and 14% moisture content its Table 13-5 coefficients put walnut ahead across a flatsawn board: 0.00274 per 1% change against cherry’s 0.00248. (Wood Handbook, p. 2-6 and 13-17)
- Color
- Cherry heartwood runs from light to dark reddish brown with a distinctive luster. Walnut heartwood runs from light to dark brown, and its nearly white sapwood can be up to 3 in. wide in open-grown trees. (Wood Handbook, p. 2-6 and 2-10)
- Working and finishing
- Cherry has a fairly uniform texture and very good machining properties. Walnut is normally straight grained, easily worked with tools, and well suited for natural finishes. (Wood Handbook, p. 2-6 and 2-10)
- Uses
- Cherry goes mainly into furniture, fine veneer panels and architectural woodwork. Walnut goes into furniture, architectural woodwork and decorative panels, and also gunstocks and cabinets. (Wood Handbook, p. 2-6 and 2-10)
For any other pair, open each species page from the wood hub; every page uses the same layout and the same sources.