Species data
European Hornbeam
Carpinus betulus - a hardwood from europe and western Asia. Also sold as common hornbeam.
Properties at a glance
| Janka hardness | 1,630 lbf |
| Stiffness (MOE) | 1,755,000 psi |
| Specific gravity | 0.74 |
| Density | 46.2 lb/ft3 (740 kg/m3) |
| Weight per board foot | 3.85 lb |
| Shrinkage, green to oven-dry | 11.5% tangential / 6.8% radial |
| Indicative price | $9.00 per board foot (estimated) |
Values are at about 12% moisture content. Density is specific gravity times 62.4; a board foot is one twelfth of a cubic foot, so weight per board foot is that density divided by twelve. Anything marked estimated is our own figure, not a measured one.
How European Hornbeam compares
Measured against the 113 solid woods in this database: it is harder than 72% of them, heavier than 66%, and stiffer than 63%.
What that means in the shop
A 4/4 board 8 inches wide and 8 feet long is 5.33 board feet, so in European Hornbeam it weighs about 20.5 lb. A stack of ten is 205 lb - worth knowing before you load a rack or a car.
Against red oak, the trade's usual yardstick at 1,220 lbf, European Hornbeam is about 1.3x as hard and 1.06x as heavy.
Its shrinkage is 11.5% tangential against 6.8% radial, a ratio of 1.7 to 1. The wider that ratio, the more unevenly a flatsawn board moves across its width as humidity changes, and the more it wants to cup; anything near or above 2 to 1 is worth quartersawing or restraining for panels and wide tops. This one moves comparatively evenly.
Woods of similar hardness
Closest to European Hornbeam on hardness in this database: Garapa (1,650 lbf), Swamp White Oak (1,600 lbf), Honey Locust (1,580 lbf), Afrormosia (1,570 lbf). Similar hardness does not mean similar behaviour - check density and movement before substituting one for another.
Working with it
Workability. Dense and tough, so working is hard; superb on the lathe; finishes, glues and stains well
Durability. Non-durable to perishable and prone to insects, but exceptionally wear-resistant
Typical uses. flooring, veneer, musical instruments, handles, turning.
Related calculators
Sources
MOE, SG (12% MC), Janka and shrinkage from The Wood Database (cites USDA FPL Wood Handbook). CT/CR omitted: European hornbeam is not listed in the FPL/Hoadley dimensional change coefficient table. Uses, region, durability and workability summarized from The Wood Database. Price indicative.
These calculators are for planning and estimation. Engineering results (shelf sag, wood movement) use published average material properties; real boards vary by grade, grain, moisture and defects. Verify load-bearing designs with a professional.