What is hardwood? What is the difference between hardwood and softwood?
Solid wood is generally divided into two categories: hardwood and softwood.
Hardwood
Hardwood is wood obtained from broad-leaved trees, and as the name suggests, it is very hard and dense. Trees such as maple, oak, and hickory grow slowly, replacing their leaves every year, which makes the wood fibers very dense.
It is hard and durable, and is used for high-quality furniture and musical instruments, and is also fire-resistant, so it is often used for flooring, etc. However, although it is suitable for making sturdy furniture, it is difficult to process and the price is inevitably high, so it is more suitable for high-end furniture.
Also, because it takes a long time to grow, hardwood has become rare in recent years. According to Japanese carpenters and furniture makers, it is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain good quality hardwood in Japan. If you don't carefully choose your purchase, you may not be sure if it is really red oak when you open the bundle, and there are also many pieces of wood on the market whose origin is unknown if you are not careful. According to a survey by the British think tank Chatham House, unfortunately, Japan accounts for a large proportion of the destination of illegally harvested wood (illegal timber). This is probably not limited to hardwood, though.
Softwood
Softwood is wood obtained from coniferous trees such as cypress, pine, and cedar.
These trees grow quickly and straight vertically, so they are often used for house pillars and beams.
It is a wood that is often used for DIY projects because it is light, inexpensive, and easy to process, and is easily available at home improvement stores.
Amish Furniture Wood
One of the most distinctive features of Amish furniture is that it is handcrafted from hardwood.
All of the Amish furniture we carry is made from solid hardwood sourced from North America.
Maple, red oak, cherry, hickory, etc. are used.
