What’s the Difference? Hard and Soft Maple

Hard maple and soft maple are both types of wood that come from the maple tree species. While they share some similarities, there are several key differences between them:

1. The Tree: Hard maple typically refers to Acer saccharum, also known as sugar or rock maple – the same tree that gives us maple syrup. It’s prized for its strength, durability, and smooth, fine grain. Soft maple isn’t a specific species, but rather a category. It includes several types of maple trees that are softer than sugar maple, such as red maple (Acer rubrum), silver maple (Acer saccharinum), box elder (Acer negundo), bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum).
2. Density and Hardness: As the names suggest, hard maple is significantly denser and harder than soft maple. Hard maple has a Janka hardness rating of around 1,450-1,500 lbf (pound-force), making it one of the hardest domestic hardwoods. Soft maple, on the other hand, has a Janka rating of approximately 700-950 lbf, which is still moderately hard, but considerably softer than hard maple. For reference, soft maple has roughly the same hardness as cherry.
3. Appearance: Both hard maple and soft maple can have a similar light color, with a pale yellow to creamy-white tone. However, hard maple often has slightly lighter and more consistent coloration, while soft maple may exhibit more color variations, including light browns, reds, or even streaks of gray.
4. Grain Patterns: Hard maple typically has a close, fine, and uniform grain pattern, which gives it a smooth and consistent appearance. In contrast, soft maple can have a more open and coarser grain pattern, which may exhibit curls, waves, or slight figure variations.
5. Workability: Due to its greater hardness and density, hard maple can be more challenging to work with hand tools and may require more effort for shaping, cutting, or sanding. Soft maple is generally easier to work with and can be machined, carved, or shaped more smoothly.
6. Applications: Both hard maple and soft maple have various applications in woodworking and furniture making. Hard maple is highly regarded for flooring, cabinetry, furniture, butcher blocks, and other applications that require durability and resistance to wear. Soft maple, while not as hard, is still suitable for a wide range of uses, including furniture, cabinetry, millwork, and musical instruments. Soft maple is also often used as a more cost-effective alternative to hard maple and is a great option for painted applications.

It’s important to note that the terms “hard maple” and “soft maple” can refer to multiple species of maple trees, and their characteristics can vary slightly depending on the specific species. However, the general differences described above should give you a good understanding of the distinctions between the two.