Walnut vs maple
Black walnut and hard maple are often paired in cutting boards and furniture. Maple is much the harder, and it moves more across a flatsawn board.
- Sugar maple is about 44% harder than black walnut.
- Sugar maple is about 15% heavier than black walnut.
- Sugar maple has about 29% more movement across a flatsawn board than black walnut.
Each column is the species its page leads with: black walnut for walnut, sugar maple for hard maple.
Side by side
| Property | Walnut | Hard maple |
|---|---|---|
| Janka hardness, 12% MC | 1,010 lbf | 1,450 lbf |
| Weight, 12% MC | 38.5 lb/ft³ (616 kg/m³) | 44.1 lb/ft³ (706 kg/m³) |
| Specific gravity, 12% MC | 0.55 | 0.63 |
| Tangential shrinkage | 7.8% | 9.9% |
| Radial shrinkage | 5.5% | 4.8% |
| 12 in flatsawn board, 6% → 12% MC | 0.197 in | 0.254 in |
| 12 in quartersawn board, 6% → 12% MC | 0.137 in | 0.119 in |
| Bending strength (MOR), 12% MC | 14,600 psi | 15,800 psi |
| Stiffness (MOE), 12% MC | 1.68 million psi | 1.83 million psi |
| Crushing strength, 12% MC | 7,580 psi | 7,830 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
- Color and texture
- Walnut heartwood is light to dark brown. Hard maple heartwood is usually light reddish brown with white sapwood, and it has a fine, uniform texture. (Wood Handbook, p. 2-8 and 2-10)
- Stability
- The Handbook calls black walnut stable in use and gives hard maple high shrinkage. (Wood Handbook, p. 2-8 and 2-10)
- Uses
- Hard maple’s listed uses include cutting boards, flooring, furniture, cabinets and gym floors. Walnut’s include furniture, architectural woodwork, decorative panels, gunstocks and cabinets. (Wood Handbook, p. 2-8 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.