Shagbark Hickory

Carya ovata · Hardwood · North America

Janka 1,880 lbf≈45 lb/ft³ dried (est.)

Properties

Janka hardness	1,880 lbf (8,362 N)
Average dried weight (est.)	45 lb/ft³ (720 kg/m³)
Specific gravity	0.72
Modulus of rupture	20,200 psi (139.3 MPa)
Modulus of elasticity	2.16 million psi (14.89 GPa)
Crushing strength	9,210 psi (63.5 MPa)
Shrinkage — radial	7.0%
Shrinkage — tangential	10.5%
Shrinkage — volumetric	16.7%
Shrinkage T/R ratio	1.5

Values at 12% moisture content, clear-wood averages. Source: USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook FPL-GTR-282 (2021), Table 5–3b p. 5–10; shrinkage Table 4–3 p. 4–8.

Shagbark hickory is the flagship of the true hickories (specific gravity 0.72, Janka hardness 1,880 lbf) — exceptionally tough, heavy, hard, and strong, with bending strength of 20,200 psi that tops this directory's hardwoods. It is the classic wood for tool handles and anything else that must absorb shock without failing.

Appearance & grain

The sapwood is white and usually quite wide. The heartwood is reddish. As a true hickory, shagbark shares the group's plain, workmanlike appearance.

Workability

The Handbook emphasizes the true hickories' exceptional toughness rather than ease of working — this is dense, heavy wood that tools work hard to cut. It also shrinks considerably in drying, so seasoning needs care.