Both mahogany and oak wood are hardwoods that come from the trunk of deciduous trees. Hardwoods like oak and mahogany are always known for their excellent appearance and workability.
Mahogany and oak wood are widely used for making high-end furniture and are vastly popular in the woodworking world. It is safe to say that both oak and mahogany have similar qualities concerning durability and longevity and are excellent woods preferred for exclusive constructions.
However, they are in some ways different from one another. Knowing their differences will only help make a better choice. So let us discuss them in detail.
Mahogany vs Oak Wood – Difference
Mahogany Wood
Mahogany wood is a popular hardwood that is originally from Central and South America. They are largely known for their smooth texture. It consists of fine and long grains that give them an aesthetic and antique look. Mahogany can sometimes have few knots and patterns like blisters which makes it unique. However, it is usually a closed-grain wood.
Mahogany woods are rich in color. They are generally reddish-brown, but they tend to get darker with time providing a more antique and traditional appearance. Due to its dark hues, it can be hard to stain, but they take stains well.
It is hardwood, but it is considered less hard than oak wood. However, that and the straight grain patterns of mahogany make it highly suitable for machines and hand tools for carving and cutting. While considering the workability of mahogany and oak, they both are equally good. But the smooth and fine straight grain patterns add to mahogany’s advantages.
However, mahogany is considered an endangered wood. It is not abundant in nature, and that results in its high cost. This means Mahogany is considerably more expensive compared to other woods like oak.
Oak Wood
Oak is the hardest amongst the hardwoods. Oak woods are open-grained wood. It consists of several large and unique grain patterns such as knots, swirls, etc. That makes them easily recognizable and also provides a very rustic appearance.
Oak woods range from pinkish to tan hues depending on the type of oak. The two most popular kinds of oak are red and white oak wood. Due to its ability to stain better and its rustic appearance provided by its grain texture, oak is more popular in the furniture industry than mahogany. Oaks are also known to have open pores and small holes in their surface that adds an advantage to their staining ability.
As mentioned above, oak is the hardest of all. But due to its hardness, it is more likely to shatter when milled. It also becomes difficult to carve and cut oak wood using hand tools. Oak is also considered perishable and less durable than mahogany.
However, oak wood is a more mainstream wood than mahogany. Their availability, usage, and pricing are more convenient than other woods. Oak wood is more available and adaptable, which makes it less costly. Both the woods are indeed expensive, but mahogany is two to three times the price of oak.
Thus, we can analyze that both the woods are close to each other. However, oak has always been on the first line due to the specific reasons stated above.
