Softwood vs. Hardwood: What’s the Real Difference?

People often assume that hardwood is hard and softwood is soft. Makes sense, right? Except... it’s not always true. Through my 50 years of woodworking, I’ve worked with softwoods harder than some hardwoods, and hardwoods softer than you'd believe. So what’s the real difference?

It’s About the Tree, Not the Wood

The terms "hardwood" and "softwood" don’t refer to how tough the wood is. They describe how the tree grows.

• Hardwoods come from deciduous trees—those with broad leaves that fall off in autumn. These trees go dormant in winter, pulling sap down into their roots, and regrow in spring.
  
• Softwoods come from coniferous trees, like pines and cedars, that keep their needles all year round. Their needle structure helps shed snow easily, and they stay green through all seasons.

So technically, balsa (used for model airplanes) is a hardwood—despite being the softest wood in the world. And yew, a softwood from England, is harder than oak or walnut. Go figure.

Growth Rates and Density

Generally, hardwoods grow slower than softwoods, which makes their wood denser and, usually, harder. Softwoods can be harvested in about 40 years. Hardwoods? More like 150 years.

This density is what gives hardwoods their strength and resistance to wear—but again, not always. It really comes down to individual wood species.

Common Examples

Softwoods:

• Pine (lots of types)
• Cedar
• Redwood (rarely used anymore)

Hardwoods:

• Oak
• Maple
• Walnut
• Mahogany
• Cherry
• Birch
• Poplar

There are dozens more. One hardwood supplier I know sells around 90 different hardwood varieties!

How Hard Is It, Really? Meet the Janka Scale

Wood hardness is measured using the Janka hardness test. It measures how many pounds of force it takes to press a 0.444" steel ball halfway into the wood.

Here’s a general idea:

• Pine: 600–900 lbf
• Red Oak: ~1,200 lbf
• Purpleheart: 1860 lbf
• Ebony: >3000 lbf

These numbers help when picking woods for a project. If you're using multiple species, it’s best to choose ones with similar Janka ratings.

I learned that the hard way building a chessboard. I used ebony (super hard) for the black squares and lacewood (much softer) for the white. When I planed it, the pressure needed to cut the ebony crushed the lacewood. It self-destructed. Lesson learned.

How Janka Hardness Affects Your Work

• Cutting: Harder woods take more effort to cut. Sharp tools are essential.
  
  
• Tear-Out: Ironically, sharp tools are even more important with softwoods. Dull blades will tear through pine and give you ragged edges instead of clean cuts.
  
  
• S taining and Finishing: Hardwoods tend to accept stain more evenly. Softwoods, with their looser grain, can blotch if you’re not careful.

Color Differences

There’s another visual cue—softwoods are usually light in color, ranging from pale cream to light caramel. If you want dark woods—like walnut, ebony, or purpleheart—you’re looking at hardwoods.

Why Beginners Start with Softwood

Softwoods are easier to cut and far more affordable. When I started, I used construction-grade 2x4s and 1x4s from the hardware store. You won’t build heirloom furniture that way, but it’s great for learning the basics, building useful projects, and practicing your skills.

The Hardwood Hurdle

Once you’re ready to move up to hardwoods, a few new challenges pop up.

First: availability.

I live in a small town. Our local hardware store doesn’t carry any hardwoods. The nearest Home Depot is 20 miles away, and their hardwood selection is limited—usually oak and poplar—and the prices aren’t great per board foot.

So I order online. That gets expensive because of shipping, so I tend to place large orders a couple times a year to stock up.

If you're lucky enough to live near a hardwood supplier, great! When I really need to load up, I’ll make the 150-mile drive to San Antonio, spend a Saturday hauling back a full SUV of lumber, and save on shipping.

But that’s part of the journey. As you improve your skills, your taste in wood evolves too. And once you work with walnut or cherry or maple—it’s hard to go back.

Final Thoughts

So no—softwood isn't always soft, and hardwood isn’t always hard. The real difference is botanical. But understanding wood density, color, workability, and cost? That’s what helps you choose the right wood for your project.

Whether you’re building your first shop project or your tenth heirloom piece, the more you know about your material, the better your results will be.