Black Cherry

Mechanical properties

Working with it

1 = difficult · 5 = excellent

One of the most forgiving hardwoods to machine. Saws, planes and sands beautifully with sharp tooling. Turns and carves well. Glues and screws without drama, though it's softer than European cherry so pre-drill near edges. Steam-bending is workable but not a strength.

Sawing

Planing

Sanding

Turning

Carving

Gluing

Screw / nail hold

Steam bending

Drying

Dries at a moderate rate with a mild tendency to warp and surface-check if pushed. Tangential shrinkage (6.5–8.0%) is roughly twice radial, so flat-sawn wide stock moves more than quarter-sawn. Sticker carefully and let kiln-dried slabs acclimatise in the workshop before flattening.

Finishing

Sands to a glassy surface with little effort. Takes oils, hard-wax oils, shellac and waterborne finishes cleanly. Stains can blotch on flat-sawn faces — use a washcoat or gel stain if you're matching a tone. Most makers skip stain entirely and let the wood do the work, because it darkens on its own.

Durability and safety

• Class 3 — Moderately durable
• Food contact safe
• Dust irritant: wear PPE

Food-contact safe once finished, which is why it's a long-standing choice for kitchen and dining work. Cherry dust is a known irritant and some woodworkers develop sensitisation over time — run extraction and wear a mask when sanding.

Sourcing and sustainability

• Premium import, sourced outside Europe
• IUCN: LC — Least Concern

IUCN Least Concern, no CITES listing. Supply from US hardwood forests is well-established and FSC-certified stock is widely available. As a North American import it carries shipping miles a European species doesn't — worth weighing if low-carbon sourcing matters to your client.

Buyer questions