White Oak vs White Ash
White Oak (Quercus alba) and White Ash (Fraxinus americana) are two woods people often weigh against each other. White Oak is the harder of the two at 1350 lbf on the Janka scale, versus 1320 lbf for White Ash, which affects how each handles wear, tools, and denting.
| Property | White Oak Quercus alba | White Ash Fraxinus americana |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Hardwood | Hardwood |
| Cost | $$$ · Premium | $$ · Moderate |
| Hardness | 1350 lbf | 1320 lbf |
| Workability | Good | Good |
| Seasonal movement | Medium | Medium |
| Outdoor-friendly | Yes | No |
| Origin | Domestic (North America) | Domestic (North America) |
| Commonly built | Whiskey & wine barrels, Adirondack chairs, Mission-style furniture, Boat decks, Farmhouse tables | Baseball bats, Hammer & axe handles, Hockey sticks, Steam-bent chair backs, Canoe paddles |
| Overview | Red oak's tougher, water-resistant cousin. Closed cellular structure makes it the classic choice for anything that gets wet. | Strong, shock-resistant, and springy, the baseball-bat wood. Looks like oak but lighter in tone. Threatened by the emerald ash borer. |
Finishing
White Oak
Accepts stain and most finishes very well and its closed, tyloses-filled pores make it far more water-resistant than red oak. Open grain still benefits from grain filler for a smooth film finish. High tannin content reacts strongly with water and iron, which is exactly why it fumes beautifully with ammonia (traditional Arts-and-Crafts finish) and why you should avoid steel wool and use non-reactive fasteners. Excellent under oil, and a good candidate for exterior spar varnish on outdoor pieces.
White Ash
Open, ring-porous grain much like oak; takes stain evenly and benefits from grain filler for a smooth film finish. Pale color takes both light natural finishes and darker stains well. No blotching concerns. A good candidate for a filled-and-lacquered smooth finish or an open-grain oiled look.
Want to weigh these against a third wood, or compare different species? Use the interactive comparison tool.