Hickory
Hickory is genuinely one of the toughest woods on the planet — harder than white oak, harder than hard maple, and with shock resistance that nothing else touches at this price point. That same toughness means it will destroy dull tools, burn under slow feed rates, and move more than you expect after drying. It's not a beginner wood, but it's the right wood when you need something that won't break.
- Running hickory with dull tooling — it burns faster than almost any domestic hardwood and will ruin a surface in seconds with a dull blade or bit
- Skipping pre-drilling — hickory is hard enough to split dramatically if you drive fasteners without pilot holes
- Ignoring the sapwood/heartwood contrast — some woodworkers try to sort for all-heartwood stock, but the contrast is a signature aesthetic; lean into it
Tan to medium brown heartwood with a dramatic contrast to the nearly-white sapwood. Both heartwood and sapwood are commonly used together, and the high contrast is often considered a design feature rather than a defect. Darkens slightly with age.
The hardest and heaviest common domestic hardwood. Blunts tools quickly — sharp carbide is mandatory. Burns under router bits and saw blades at slow feed rates. The same shock resistance that makes it ideal for tool handles makes it punishing to work. Pre-drill all fasteners. Worth every bit of effort for applications where toughness is the priority.
| Region | Availability |
|---|---|
| North America | Widely available |
| Europe | Regional / select dealers |
| Australia / NZ | Specialty importers only |
| Southeast Asia | Specialty importers only |
| South America | Specialty importers only |
| Africa / Middle East | Specialty importers only |