What is ash wood?
The Wood Guide · The wood register
Broadleaf wood · referenceAsh wood
The wood that bends without breaking. From hockey sticks to chair backs — where springiness counts, ash comes first.
- Fraxinus excelsior / americana
- Highly shock-resistant
- Class 5 — indoors only
European ashFraxinus excelsior
Ash in brief
From the ash tree (Fraxinus spp.), a genus of broadleaf trees found in temperate climates all over the world. Two species dominate timber production.
European ash (Fraxinus excelsior) grows in Europe and western Asia; white ash (Fraxinus americana) is native to eastern and central North America. The wood of both is strikingly similar: pale, with pronounced growth rings and a straight grain.
Where ash excels is its combination of strength and elasticity. It bends a long way and springs back rather than breaking, and it absorbs shocks. That is why tool handles, hockey sticks, oars and bent chair parts have traditionally been made of ash.
The heartwood is light to dark brown, the sapwood white to pale yellow. With ash, the pale sapwood is often the part people value — the pale, even look you see in Scandinavian furniture is largely sapwood.
- Botanical
- Fraxinus excelsior, F. americana
- Origin
- Europe, western Asia, North America
- Colour
- heartwood light to dark brown, sapwood white to pale yellow
- Texture
- fine to medium-coarse, straight grain, distinct figure
- Strength
- high, with exceptional elasticity
- Durability
- class 5 — indoors only
To be fair: ash is not durable. Class 5 means it rots within a few years if left unprotected outdoors, and it is also prone to woodworm. Ash is an indoor wood, full stop.
It bends without breaking
Ash combines strength with exceptional elasticity: it bends a long way and springs back instead of breaking, and it absorbs shocks. That is why tool handles, hockey sticks, oars and bent chair parts are traditionally made of ash.
Click a chapter or use the arrows · bending, vessels and disease schematic.
Why ash is so springy
Ring-porous
Each year starts with a row of large vessels, followed by dense fibrous tissue. That alternation makes the wood strong along its length and elastic when bent.
Shock-resistant
It absorbs impacts rather than passing them on. Exactly what an axe handle or a hockey stick needs to do.
Steam-bends well
Under steam, ash can be bent into tight curves without breaking — the basis of classic bentwood chairs.
Pronounced figure
The ring pores give a strongly striped grain that really comes into its own after staining.
What ash is used for
| Use | Why ash | Distinctive |
|---|---|---|
| Tool handles | Shock absorption and strength | Axes, hammers, spades — the classic choice |
| Sports equipment | Elasticity | Hockey sticks, oars, gym equipment |
| Furniture | Pale, strong, steam-bendable | Bent chair backs and Scandinavian design |
| Parquet | Hard and light in colour | Popular in clean-lined interiors |
| Veneer | Pronounced figure | Especially olive ash, with dark heartwood flames |
| Outdoor work | Unsuitable | Class 5 — choose oak or acacia |
Since the 2010s, European ash across large parts of Europe has been hit by ash dieback, a fungus that kills branches and eventually whole trees. That puts pressure on European supply and explains why ash has become more expensive. It makes reusing existing ash all the more worthwhile.
Frequently asked questions about ash wood
Can ash wood go outdoors?
Why is ash used in hockey sticks?
For its combination of strength and elasticity: it bends a long way and springs back rather than breaking, and it absorbs shocks. The same reason axe handles are made of ash.
What is olive ash?
Ash with dark-coloured heartwood that contrasts strongly with the pale sapwood. It is the same tree; the colouring develops in older trees and yields sought-after veneer.
What is ash dieback?
A fungal disease that has been attacking European ash since the 2010s and kills whole trees. It has shrunk European supply and pushed up the price.
Ash in perspective
A reference species in our register — the springiest broadleaf wood in Europe.
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Fraxinus — Tim van de Staak, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fraxinus excelsior — Beentree, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fraxinus — Simon A. Eugster, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo via Wikimedia Commons: Fraxinus excelsior — Willow, CC BY 2.5