The Janka Hardness Scale is a measurement of the force necessary to embed a .444-inch (11.28 mm) steel ball to half its diameter in wood. It is the industry standard for gauging the ability of various species to tolerate denting and normal wear, as well as being a good indication of the effort required to work (nail, saw, carve, etc.) the particular wood.
The Red Oak, which has a Janka rating of 1290, is the industry benchmark for comparing the relative hardness of different wood species. Since the hardness of the wood varies with the direction of the grain, both side testing and end testing is performed on wood.
Here are some examples of various woods and their Janka Hardness Rating. Obviously, this is only a short list of all the available woods but hopefully will give a good representation of the most common ones.
| Wood Species | Hardness |
| Buckeye (Yellow) | 350 |
| Aspen (Quaking) | 350 |
| Eastern White Pine | 380 |
| Basswood (American) | 410 |
| White Pine | 420 |
| Aspen (Big Tooth) | 420 |
| Hemlock | 500 |
| Banak | 510 |
| Chestnut | 540 |
| Baldcypress | 570 |
| Larch | 590 |
| Alder (Red) | 590 |
| Douglas Fir | 660 |
| Southern Yellow Pine (short leaf) | 690 |
| Shedua | 710 |
| Box Elder | 720 |
| Birch (Grey) | 760 |
| Sycamore | 770 |
| Parana | 780 |
| Lacewood | 840 |
| Leopardwood | 840 |
| Ash (Black) | 850 |
| Southern Yellow Pine (longleaf) | 870 |
| Cedar | 900 |
| Birch (Paper) | 910 |
| Boire | 940 |
| Imbuia | 950 |
| Black Cherry | 950 |
| American Cherry | 950 |
| Sakura | 995 |
| Ash (Pumpkin) | 990 |
| Teak | 1000 |
| Black Walnut | 1010 |
| Albarco | 1020 |
| Boreal | 1023 |
| Avodire | 1080 |
| Makore | 1100 |
| Brazilian Eucalyptus | 1125 |
| Andiroba | 1130 |
| Cocobolo | 1136 |
| Ash (Oregon) | 1160 |
| Ash (Green) | 1200 |
| Movingui | 1230 |
| Birch (Yellow) | 1260 |
| Red Oak (Northern) | 1290 |
| Angelique | 1290 |
| American Beech | 1300 |
| Ash (White) | 1320 |
| Ribbon Gum | 1349 |
| Tasmanian Oak | 1350 |
| White Oak | 1360 |
| Australian Cypress | 1375 |
| Natural Bamboo | 1380 |
| Coffee Bean | 1390 |
| Hard Maple | 1450 |
| Brazilian Oak | 1460 |
| Birch (Sweet) | 1470 |
| Curupixa | 1490 |
| Brazilian Maple | 1500 |
| Sapele | 1510 |
| Kambala | 1540 |
| Peroba | 1557 |
| Afromosia | 1560 |
| Timborana | 1570 |
| Zebrawood | 1575 |
| Tualang | 1624 |
| Red Pine | 1630 |
| Wenge | 1630 |
| Highland Beech | 1686 |
| Locust | 1700 |
| Kempas | 1710 |
| Merbau | 1712 |
| Blackwood | 1720 |
| Angelim | 1720 |
| African Pedauk | 1725 |
| Apple | 1730 |
| Angelin | 1750 |
| Benge | 1750 |
| Rosewood | 1780 |
| Bangkirai | 1798 |
| Afzelia | 1810 |
| Doussie | 1810 |
| Hickory | 1820 |
| Pecan | 1820 |
| Satinwood | 1820 |
| Goncalo Alves | 1850 |
| Tigerwood | 1850 |
| Purpleheart | 1860 |
| Jarrah | 1910 |
| Amendoin | 1912 |
| Merbau | 1925 |
| Tallowwood | 1933 |
| Cameron | 1940 |
| Bubinga | 1980 |
| Sydney Blue Gum | 2023 |
| Kari | 2030 |
| Ash (Blue) | 2030 |
| Moabi | 2050 |
| South American Pearwood | 2100 |
| Brushbox | 2135 |
| Pradoo | 2170 |
| Bocote | 2200 |
| Cabreuva | 2200 |
| Santos Mahogany | 2200 |
| Tatajuba | 2220 |
| Mesquite | 2345 |
| Jatoba | 2350 |
| Spotted Gum | 2473 |
| Bubinga | 2690 |
| Red Mahogany | 2697 |
| Turpentine | 2697 |
| Bloodwood | 2900 |
| Angelim Pedra | 3040 |
| Brazilian Redwood | 3190 |
| Paraju | 3190 |
| Tiete Rosewood | 3200 |
| Ebony | 3220 |
| Azobe | 3350 |
| Cumaru | 3540 |
| Ipe | 3680 |
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