Reply by Porosky

Hard Maple is heavier and more dense than Soft Maple which would make the desktop more durable but I’m not sure it would matter with your choice of finish. So it may come down to availability, Curly Hard Maple is a lot more rare than Curly Soft Maple, and probably more expensive. Curly Hard Maple tends to have a tighter Curl pattern and (I think) more of a 3-D effect. Also there would be a color difference between the two depending on it’s reaction to the finish, HM yellow to white, SM white to pink. I know where you could purchase both Curly Hard or Soft if you had a general cut list ;)

-- There's many a slip betwixt a cup and a lip.--Scott