Rosewood and cherry are fantastic types of wood, but which one is best to use in your woodworking project?
If you want to complete your project’s goals successfully, choosing the right timber is so important. There are strength considerations to think about, particularly for load-bearing work. Alongside this, the look of wood can completely change the appearance and feel of a project. Then there is also availability and price to think about.
In this article, we’ll compare rosewood and cherry, so you can work out which one is best suited for your next project.
What Is Rosewood?
There are a few different types of rosewood trees, including the Brazilian, East Indian, and Honduran. In this article, we’ll be talking mainly about Brazilian rosewood, which is also known as Bahia rosewood.
All of the trees are part of the Dalbergia family, with Dalbergia nigra as the scientific name for the Brazillian variety. As the name suggests, this material originates in Brazil. On average, the trees can grow to 130’ tall and the trunks can reach 4’ in diameter. Woodworkers from around the world revere this wood due to its appearance, strength, stability, as well as its acoustic properties.
Because of the popularity of rosewood, it’s unfortunately been exploited massively by illegal loggers in the last century. As such, the timber and products made from it are heavily restricted.
What Is Cherry?
Cherry is one of the most popular woods used by fine woodworkers in the US and European markets. It is a classy hardwood that provides a level of sophistication to a project, as well as being very pleasant to work with.
There are two main types of cherry trees that people might come across for woodworking, which are the black cherry and the sweet cherry. In this article, we’ll focus on the black cherry as that is the more popular tree to make timber from.
Sometimes this tree is also referred to as the American cherry, or it’s scientifically called prunus serotina. The tree is native to North and Central America. On average, black cherry can grow up to 100’ tall, and the trunk diameter can reach 5’.
Rosewood vs. Cherry: What Are the Differences?
In this section, we’ll discuss some of the key differences between Rosewood and Cherry. We’ll look at the strength, appearance, grain, workability, and sustainability of the two trees.
Strength
The strength of a piece of wood is defined by a lot of factors beyond the species of timber. However, the type of tree does have a major role in the integrity of a board. If we look at rosewood, it has a Janka hardness of 2,790 lbf and a crushing strength of 9,740 lbf/sq in. Comparatively, cherry scores 950 lbf for Janka hardness and 7,110 lb/sq in. On both of these measurements, Brazilian rosewood is much stronger than black cherry.
Appearance
Boards of the same species can vary in appearance a lot. In fact, boards from the same tree can also look very different. However, there are some common trends within the same species, which we’ll talk about in this section.
Brazilian rosewood has a few colors that inflect the overall brown tones. For instance, purple, red, and chocolate tones are common in this material. These colors are alongside darker black streaks. The sapwood is much lighter and can be yellow, clearly contrasting the heartwood.
Cherry can change dramatically in appearance from when it’s first cut. For instance, when it’s just been milled, cherry can be light pink, brown, and quite pale. However, with time cherry darkens, with a richer red and brown coming through. This wood is particularly susceptible to UV light, which can leave darker patches on the wood compared to other areas that have been in the shade. The sapwood can be very pale and yellow.
Grain and Texture
The grain of Brazilian rosewood is usually uniform, however, it can sometimes be interlocked or wavy. Alongside this, the black streaks within the wood create grain patterns that some people refer to as ‘landscape’ or ‘spider-webbing’.
Cherry usually has a straight grain, although a curly grain is not uncommon. The grain is closed, meaning that the wood can take a polish well.
Workability
Rosewood is considered nice and easy to work with, whether using hand or power tools. Because of the hardness of the wood, it will blunt blades quite easily. Turning this material will also create some nice products. Alongside this, finishes come up well on rosewood, however, the high natural oil content of the wood can make glue-ups more difficult.
Black cherry is highly prized by many woodworkers because of how nice it is to work. The timber is usually stable, with a straight grain. This wood also cuts and shapes very nicely. However, the effects of UV on the material can sometimes cause issues when storing and finishing projects.
Sustainability
Brazilian rosewood is an extremely restricted timber and is listed on the most critical CITES Appendix I, which also puts restrictions on products already made from the wood. Alongside this, the tree is listed on the IUCN Red List because its numbers have reduced by more than 20% in three generations, mainly caused by exploitation and loss of its growing habitat.
On the other hand, black cherry is not cited in the CITES Appendices. The IUCN reports that the tree is not a species of concern.
When to Use Rosewood?
Rosewood has been used for a variety of different projects including furniture, cabinets, veneers, floors, and turned objects. This is alongside instruments such as guitars and piano cases.
When to Use Cherry Wood?
Cherry can be found in a lot of fine furniture and cabinetry work, as well as flooring, veneers, and turned objects. Some woodworkers love cherry and create spoons, mugs, and bowls from it.
Alternatives to Rosewood and Cherry Wood
Sometimes, we have to find an alternative timber to the one that we first wanted. In the case of Brazilian rosewood, most of the time you will have to find an alternative material because it is so restricted.
East Indian Rosewood
East Indian Rosewood is one of the most common substitutes for Brazilian rosewood. This material has been used to create a lot of acoustic guitars, particularly since the 1960s.
Cocobolo
Cocobolo is an extremely sought-after wood because of its colorings and grain patterns. However, this beauty does come with dangers. Cocobolo is tough to glue and can also cause allergic reactions. Alongside this, Cocobolo is on the CITES appendix II and listed on the IUCN Red List.
Honduran Rosewood
Honduran rosewood is another tropical timber that is well known for its acoustic properties. Because of the material’s tap tone, a range of instruments are made from Honduran Rosewood. Alongside this, furniture and veneer are common uses for this timber.
Summary
Finding the right wood for your project can be very difficult. If you are trying to choose between Brazilian rosewood and cherry, unless you are extremely fortunate, cherry will be much more accessible and cheaper. However, if it’s possible to ethically and sustainably source some Brazilian rosewood, cherish it, and make sure you use it for a project that is worthy of the endangered species.