I look into wood hardness more and it seems like the answer is a bit more complicated:
Different types of bamboo definitely is, on average, harder than wood like maple. Teak is not as hard as bamboo. But it depends on what type of teak it is. Mine says plantation teak, so I assume its the type of teak that they grow with much fertilizer and is less dense than old growth teak. This assumption comes from an observation that I made previously working with plantation grown redwood and pinewood. They are a little bit like foam, much less dense compared to old growth ones.
Since its only $10 (Madeira brand), and I don’t have truly expensive knives, I am inclined to give the teak a try.
