hardwood · Diospyros virginiana

Persimmon wood properties

Also known as: white ebony, common persimmon.

Type hardwood
Botanical name Diospyros virginiana
Modulus of elasticity (MOE) 2,010,000 psi
Specific gravity 0.83
Density (approx) 52 lb/ft³ (4.3 lb per board foot)
Janka hardness 2,300 lbf
Shrinkage (tangential / radial) 11.2% / 7.9%
Region Eastern United States

A 1 in x 6 in x 8 ft board of Persimmon weighs about 17.3 lb (roughly 52 lb per cubic foot). Its Janka hardness of 2,300 lbf is harder than about 85% of the woods in our database.

Uses and working notes

Common uses: turned objects, golf club heads, veneer, specialty items.

Durability: Perishable, being largely sapwood and prone to insect attack.

Workability: Workability is middling; good under hand tools but stubborn to plane and edge-dulling; turns and finishes well.

Use this data

Similar woods

Woods with comparable hardness and density to Persimmon:

How these numbers were sourced

MOE, SG (12% MC), Janka and shrinkage from The Wood Database (cites USDA FPL Wood Handbook). Not listed in the FPL/Hoadley dimensional change table, so CT/CR omitted. Uses, region, durability and workability summarized from The Wood Database. Price indicative.

Values shown as estimates rather than sourced constants: typicalPricePerBF_usd.

Sources

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.