Posted by Phil on March 25, 1999 at 13:10:45:
In Reply to: Cherry - Hard or Soft wood posted by Jillian Lessner on March 25, 1999 at 12:40:28:
Many people think the same as you. Wood is divided into two main classes, soft wood and hardwood. Soft woods are for the most part, products of needle-leaved trees or evergreens such as pine, fir, redwood, spruce, cedar, and cypress. Hardwoods are broad-leaved trees such as oak, walnut, birch, maple, hickory, cherry, and poplar. The terms softwood and hardwood have no direct application to actual hardness or softness of the wood. As an example, oak and maple are harder than cherry, but cherry is harder than poplar. Many cabinet makers choose cherry because of its appearence. I wouldn't be concerned to much about durability unless you know the cabinet you plan on making will be subject to excessive wear and tear. In a kitchen or bath room a cherry cabinet is fine. In a childrens bed room or play room I would be concerned. : I have a general question about cherry wood. Is it considered a soft or hard wood? I had always heard that it was one of the softest woods, but someone just told me it is one of the hardest. We are considering using Cherry for some cabinets if it is hard and a little more resistant to scratches and dents than other woods.
: Thanks, Jillian