Black Walnut vs Black Cherry
Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) and Black Cherry (Prunus serotina) are two woods people often weigh against each other. Black Walnut is the harder of the two at 1010 lbf on the Janka scale, versus 950 lbf for Black Cherry, which affects how each handles wear, tools, and denting.
| Property | Black Walnut Juglans nigra | Black Cherry Prunus serotina |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Hardwood | Hardwood |
| Cost | $$$ · Premium | $$ · Moderate |
| Hardness | 1010 lbf | 950 lbf |
| Workability | Excellent | Excellent |
| Seasonal movement | Small | Small |
| Outdoor-friendly | No | No |
| Origin | Domestic (North America) | Domestic (North America) |
| Commonly built | Live-edge dining tables, Gunstocks, Jewelry boxes, Mid-century furniture, Cutting boards (accent) | Heirloom dressers, Dining chairs, Mantels, Jewelry boxes, Carved accents |
| Overview | America's premier furniture wood. Rich chocolate color straight off the tree, a dream to work, and stable once dry. | A joy to work and ages into a deep reddish patina. Classic American furniture wood that rewards a simple finish. |
Finishing
Black Walnut
Needs no stain, its natural chocolate color is the whole point, and an oil or oil/varnish finish makes it glow. Moderately open grain can be filled for a smooth film finish or left for a more natural look. Sapwood is pale and sometimes steamed at the mill to blend it. Expect the rich brown to lighten and mellow toward honey under UV over years; a UV-inhibiting finish slows this on pieces near windows.
Black Cherry
Famous for blotching under pigment stain, and famous for not needing stain at all: it darkens naturally to a deep reddish brown with light exposure over months, so many finishers simply apply a clear oil or wax and let time do the coloring. If you must even out or speed the color, use dye or a conditioner, never a heavy pigment stain on bare cherry. A UV-inhibiting topcoat is counterproductive here since the darkening is desirable.
Want to weigh these against a third wood, or compare different species? Use the interactive comparison tool.