Cherry Wood
Cherry is a fruit and woody tree. Its wood is known for its durability, stability, and great appearance. The origin of cherry is North America. In the USA, most sweet cherries are grown in Washington, California, Oregon, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
Cherry’s furniture is mostly used for central rooms like dining rooms and bedrooms. Because It gives a better uniform appearance and becomes even darker with time.
Cherry is a genus of several species of wood. There are more than six species of cherry wood. This is Black Cherry Wood, Sweet Cherry Wood, Brazilian Cherry, Patagonian Cherry, Caribbean Cherry, Chilean Cherry, and many more.
Mahogany Wood
Mahogany is native to the Caribbean and Central and South American. It is known for making great furniture and musical instruments. Mahogany is used almost everywhere in the world and It is famous for its natural dark color. Due to the fine grain and stability, It is used to make veneer sheets which are used to make plywood and flooring.
Mahogany is a genus of several species of wood. These are the names of some special species, Honduras mahogany (Swietenia Humilis), American mahogany (Swietenia Mahagoni), and big-leaf mahogany (Swietenia Macrophylla), and many more.
| # | Cherry Wood | Mahogany wood |
| Scientific name: | Prunus | Swietenia |
| Uses | musical instruments, carvings, Cabinetry, fine furniture, and interior millwork | Furniture, cabinet, flooring, and boatbuilding. |
| Color: | Light pink to rich reddish-brown | Reddish-brown and Color tend to darken with age. |
| Hardness: | 995 lbf. | 800-900 lbf. |
| Average Dried Weight: | 36 lbs/ft3 (580 kg/m3) | 40 lbs/ft3 (640 kg/m3) |
| Bending Properties: | It is easy to carve and mold. | It can bend and carve easily. |
| Workability | Workability is great nails and glues well | It can be easily worked with. It can be cut and molded in any shape and size. |
| Tree growth rate | About 1 to 2 feet per year | About 3 to 4 feet per year. |
| Wood Types | Hardwood | Hardwood |
Cherry vs Mahogany Uses
Cherry wood has a medium density with good bending properties. It is low to medium rot and shock resistance. Cherry is widely used for toys, caskets, paneling, furniture, flooring, cabinet making, molding and millwork, kitchen cabinets, paneling, doors, boat interiors, musical instruments, turnings, carvings, and many more.
Mahogany is a beautiful, durable and stable hardwood species. Mahogany is darker than cherry wood. That’s why mahogany is mostly used for making decorative objects. It is used for making furniture, boats, flooring veneers, and the best uses for musical instruments.
Cherry vs Mahogany Durability
Cherry wood is durable and stable. It is the best wood for furniture that lasts for years. Mahogany is also very durable and it has a lifespan of 20 to 25 years. If cared for regularly it lasts about 40+ years.
Mahogany and cherry both are resistant to decay and rot. So we can say that the durability of both Mahogany and Cherry is much better for interior applications.
By the way, the durability of wood depends on many factors such as maintenance, use, and species. Maintenance is essential to maintaining the beauty and durability of any wood.
The durability of any wood can be doubled through paint and polish. It acts as a protection layer between the wood and the environment. So that dust, moisture, and UV rays do not affect the wood. Good quality paint can double the lifespan of the wood.
Which can be stained easily?
The color of cherry wood is slightly lighter than that of mahogany, So that cherry can be easily stained. Whereas Mahogany is a dark type of wood. Which can be a bit difficult to stain.
But most people would not like to stain mahogany as it has a naturally dark and beautiful grain. But you still want to stain the mahogany, So you can. Lacquer is a top choice for mahogany. Lacquer dries fast, is durable.
How long does it take for wood to dry?
Cherry is more hard and dense than mahogany. Therefore, Cherry takes time to dry. Cherry wood air drying (to 20% moisture content) takes 45 to 60 days for 1-inch material and 2 to 3 months for 2-inch material. The purpose of firewood can take about 3 to 4 months.
If we talk about mahogany, then it dries quickly compared to cherry. But the drying time depends on the drying process. Air drying is slow, Kiln drying is much faster. Because Air drying depends on the environmental climate. Kiln drying is more expensive.
Cherry Wood vs Mahogany Price
Both cherry and mahogany are expensive woods. The price of any wood depends on many factors. Such as wood species, grade, and state.
Cherry wood is primarily used for furniture in the United States and Canada. Therefore, cherry wood is more expensive than mahogany.
The price of Cherry ( 4/4 ) ranges from $7 to $8 per board foot. Many dealers also offer discounts on bulk purchases. Talk about discounts before making the final deal.
Unfinished mahogany wood will cost about $6 to $30 per board foot, While the flooring and/or decking pieces can cost about $5 to $10 per square foot. For musical instruments, mahogany can be more expensive as A-grade wood is used for this.
Cherry vs Mahogany Pros and Cons
Cherry Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Having straight-grained qualities, it is quite easy to work with hand tools and machines. | Cherry wood is expensive wood |
| Cherry wood is decay and rot-resistant wood, which makes it durable for a long time. | Its color is not stable. It is sensitive wood, due to continuous exposure to sunlight, it changes color. |
| cherry wood has great bending properties, It is easy to be curved, cut, and mold, | The cherry wood is not very resilient as compared to other hardwood. |
| Great appearance, Cherry wood has a fine, uniform, straight-grain, as well as smooth texture | Cherry wood is not a water-resistant wood, it is not suitable for bathrooms and humidity areas. |
Mahogany Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Mahogany is a durable wood. mahogany furniture can last up to 40 years outside | Mahogany is expensive wood |
| Mahogany is famous for its attractive grain and dark color. | The demand for mahogany is very high, due to which there is a shortage in its market. |
| Mahogany is a hardwood that does not shrink and warp easily. | The mahogany is a heavy wood species, it approximately ranges between 24 and 35 lbs. So sometimes it can be difficult to work. |
| Mahogany has good workability, it holds Paint and Polishes well. | There are many species of mahogany, which are available in many colors, which can be a bit difficult to identify. |
Facts about Cherry
- A healthy cherry tree has many lifespans of up to 100 years.
- Turkey is the greatest manufacturer of cherries in the world.
- Real Cherry wood is the most prized furniture hardwood in America.
Amazing Facts about Mahogany
- Mahogany Tree can reach 170 to 200 feet in height and 6 to 7 feet in diameter (trunk).
- Its reddish-brown color darkens over time.
- African Mahogany and many others mahogany species population reduction of over 20% in the past three generations.
Read Also Mahogany vs Sapele.