Camphor wood is generally harder than elm wood. This conclusion is based on the wood hardness scale, where camphor wood typically ranks around 6 on the Janka scale, while elm wood, particularly American elm, ranks around 1,200. The Janka scale measures the force required to embed a .444-inch steel ball halfway into a wood sample, providing a standardized measure of wood hardness. Camphor wood's higher Janka rating indicates it is more resistant to indentation and wear, making it harder than elm wood.