What Is the Hardest Wood for a Cutting Board? Discover the Toughest Options
Why Hardness Matters for Cutting Boards
When it comes to choosing the right cutting board, hardness isn’t just about durability. It impacts knife wear, board longevity, and even food safety. Too soft? The board scars easily and becomes a bacteria magnet. Too hard? You’ll dull your knife faster than you can say “sharpening stone.”
So yeah, it's a bit of a balancing act.
The Janka Hardness Scale: Your Go-To Benchmark
What is Janka, anyway?
The Janka hardness test measures how much force it takes to embed a steel ball halfway into a piece of wood. The higher the number, the harder the wood. Pretty straightforward, right?
But beware: harder doesn’t always mean better for cutting boards. You need just enough resistance, without turning your knives into butter knives.
Ideal range for boards
Most experts recommend woods with a Janka rating between 900 and 1,500 lbf. But let’s be real — some folks want the absolute toughest stuff out there.
So what’s the hardest wood used in cutting boards?
Top Hardest Woods Used in Cutting Boards
Lignum Vitae – The Unbeatable Beast (Janka: ~4,500 lbf)
This is the king kong of hardwoods. Lignum Vitae is ridiculously dense and oily — so much that it actually sinks in water. It’s native to the Caribbean and was once used for ship propeller bearings (no joke).
But as a cutting board? Hmm... debatable. It's almost too hard. Plus, it's rare, pricey, and not always food-safe due to natural resins.
Australian Buloke – The Tank (Janka: ~5,000+ lbf)
Harder than Lignum Vitae, Australian Buloke is among the densest woods on the planet. Super durable, but very difficult to work with. Honestly, it’s rarely seen in kitchens — more of a novelty or conversation piece.
It might last forever, sure. But it’ll probably take your knives down with it.
Maple – The Practical Hard Choice (Janka: 1,450 lbf)
Okay okay, maybe not the hardest, but hard maple (a.k.a. sugar maple) hits the sweet spot. It's tough enough to resist deep cuts, but soft enough to not wreck your blade edge.
It's also non-porous, which is a big deal hygiene-wise. That’s why it’s the gold standard for professional butcher blocks.
Is Harder Always Better?
Knife-friendliness matters
This is where opinions start to split. I once had a purpleheart board (Janka: ~2,520), and yeah—it looked gorgeous. Deep violet streaks, crazy dense, but after a few months? My knives were crying for help. Sharpening weekly ain't fun.
So unless you're okay with heavy knife maintenance, ultra-hard woods might not be worth it.
The weight issue
Super hard woods tend to be super heavy. Carrying a 2-inch thick ipe cutting board (Janka: ~3,680) across the kitchen is basically a workout. Not ideal if you move it often.
Final Thoughts: Choose Smart, Not Just Hard
So, what is the hardest wood for a cutting board? Technically, it’s Australian Buloke or Lignum Vitae. But realistically? Hard maple gives you the best of all worlds — durability, knife-friendliness, and food safety.
Of course, if you're all about bragging rights and want a cutting board made of the same stuff used in naval gear, go for one of the big hitters. But for everyday cooking? Your knives (and arms) will thank you if you don’t go too extreme.
Bottom line? Sometimes the “hardest” wood isn’t the smartest choice.
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Is 172 cm good for a man?
Yes it is. Average height of male in India is 166.3 cm (i.e. 5 ft 5.5 inches) while for female it is 152.6 cm (i.e. 5 ft) approximately. So, as far as your question is concerned, aforesaid height is above average in both cases.
Is 165 cm normal for a 15 year old?
The predicted height for a female, based on your parents heights, is 155 to 165cm. Most 15 year old girls are nearly done growing. I was too. It's a very normal height for a girl.
Is 160 cm too tall for a 12 year old?
How Tall Should a 12 Year Old Be? We can only speak to national average heights here in North America, whereby, a 12 year old girl would be between 137 cm to 162 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/3 feet). A 12 year old boy should be between 137 cm to 160 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/4 feet).
How tall is a average 15 year old?
Average Height to Weight for Teenage Boys - 13 to 20 Years
| Male Teens: 13 - 20 Years) | ||
|---|---|---|
| 14 Years | 112.0 lb. (50.8 kg) | 64.5" (163.8 cm) |
| 15 Years | 123.5 lb. (56.02 kg) | 67.0" (170.1 cm) |
| 16 Years | 134.0 lb. (60.78 kg) | 68.3" (173.4 cm) |
| 17 Years | 142.0 lb. (64.41 kg) | 69.0" (175.2 cm) |
How to get taller at 18?
Staying physically active is even more essential from childhood to grow and improve overall health. But taking it up even in adulthood can help you add a few inches to your height. Strength-building exercises, yoga, jumping rope, and biking all can help to increase your flexibility and grow a few inches taller.
Is 5.7 a good height for a 15 year old boy?
Generally speaking, the average height for 15 year olds girls is 62.9 inches (or 159.7 cm). On the other hand, teen boys at the age of 15 have a much higher average height, which is 67.0 inches (or 170.1 cm).
Can you grow between 16 and 18?
Most girls stop growing taller by age 14 or 15. However, after their early teenage growth spurt, boys continue gaining height at a gradual pace until around 18. Note that some kids will stop growing earlier and others may keep growing a year or two more.
Can you grow 1 cm after 17?
Even with a healthy diet, most people's height won't increase after age 18 to 20. The graph below shows the rate of growth from birth to age 20. As you can see, the growth lines fall to zero between ages 18 and 20 ( 7 , 8 ). The reason why your height stops increasing is your bones, specifically your growth plates.