Home / Wood Compare / African Blackwood vs Lignum Vitae
Professional Comparison · Verified Engineering Data · Updated 19 July 2026
African Blackwood VS Lignum Vitae
Which wood is better for your project? Scores are computed from the verified figures on each species page — how we score.
Verdict: near-tie. The right choice depends on the application — see winner by category below.
🥇
African Blackwood
94/100 Library Score
🪵Hardwood🌧Outdoor🔥Low Flame Spread💧Moisture Stable
- Stronger in bending (MOR 213.0 vs 130.0 MPa)
🥈
Lignum Vitae
92/100 Library Score
🪵Hardwood🌧Outdoor🔥Low Flame Spread💧Moisture Stable
- Close second across most categories
- Solid choice where its profile fits the project
Visual comparison
African BlackwoodLignum Vitae
Winner by category
There isn't one universally best wood — there's a best wood for each purpose.
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Durability | Tie |
| Stability | Tie |
| Hardness | Lignum Vitae |
| Strength (MOR) | African Blackwood |
| Stiffness (MOE) | Lignum Vitae |
| Flame spread | Tie |
| Machining ease | Tie |
| Lightness | Tie |
Engineering data
| Property | African Blackwood | Lignum Vitae |
|---|---|---|
| Janka Hardness | 3670WD lbf | 4390WD lbf |
| Density | 0.98WD g/cm³ | 1.05FPL g/cm³ |
| MOE | 17.95WD GPa | 19.0FPL GPa |
| MOR | 213.0WD MPa | 130.0FPL MPa |
| Durability | Class 1 Very Durable | Class 1 Very Durable |
| Stability | Excellent | Excellent |
| Fire (E84) | Class A indicative | Class A indicative |
| Radial Shrink | 2.9WD % | 4WD % |
| Tangential Shrink | 4.8WD % | 6.5WD % |
| T/R Ratio | 1.66 | 1.62 |
Figures carry the same source status as the species pages they come from — verified where cited, indicative where marked.
Best for
| Application | Recommended | Suitability |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor decking / pergola | 🥇 African Blackwood | ★★★★★ |
| Exterior cladding | 🥇 African Blackwood | ★★★★☆ |
| Flooring / wear surfaces | 🥇 Lignum Vitae | ★★★★★ |
| Furniture / interior joinery | 🥇 African Blackwood | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Structural / load-bearing | 🥇 African Blackwood | ★★★★★ |
Advantages & limitations
African Blackwood
Advantages
- Rated for exterior exposure (EN 350 Class 1)
- Very low movement in service
- Hard wear surface, dent-resistant
- Best flame-spread class (E84 Class A, indicative)
Limitations
- Hard on tooling; pre-drilling recommended
- Heavy — consider structure and handling
Lignum Vitae
Advantages
- Rated for exterior exposure (EN 350 Class 1)
- Very low movement in service
- Hard wear surface, dent-resistant
- Best flame-spread class (E84 Class A, indicative)
Limitations
- Hard on tooling; pre-drilling recommended
- Heavy — consider structure and handling
Recommendation
Choose African Blackwood if…
- You want the stronger all-round engineering profile
Choose Lignum Vitae if…
- Its profile matches the application better than a single overall score
Frequently asked questions
Which is more durable, African Blackwood or Lignum Vitae?
Neither — both carry the same EN 350 rating (Class 1, Very Durable). For outdoor decisions between them, weigh dimensional stability and hardness instead.
Which wood is better for outdoor use?
They are closely matched outdoors — durability and stability come out almost level. Let the application decide: harder surface for decking traffic, lighter weight for cladding.
Is African Blackwood harder than Lignum Vitae?
No — Lignum Vitae is harder (Janka 4390 vs 3670 lbf).
How we score. Each wood gets a weighted composite of the verified figures shown above: durability 22%, stability 18%, hardness 12%, bending strength 12%, machining ease 12%, stiffness 8%, flame spread 8%, lightness 8%. The Library Score is that composite's percentile rank within our 60-species library — 50 means the library median, 90 means it outperforms nine of every ten species we cover. No price data is scored — cost guidance is qualitative. The score summarises the data; it does not replace judgement about your specific application.