This paper presents a comparative experimental investigation of the mechanical properties for bamboo scrimber and spruce-pine-fir (SPF) clear specimens. The primary mechanical properties that were measured and compared included the strengths and moduli in bending, tension, compression, and shear, as well as the Poisson's ratios. The stress–strain curves and failure modes were also presented and compared. The experimental results demonstrated that, for the same category of strength and modulus, bamboo scrimber exhibited values approximately 0.5–5.5 times and 1.2–10.4 times higher than those of SPF, respectively. Bamboo scrimber specimens exhibited greater deformation at the ultimate states compared to SPF specimens. Furthermore, based on the bootstrap method, the characteristic values of the strengths and moduli for both bamboo scrimber and SPF in bending, tension, compression, and shear were determined. The results presented in this paper provide a clearer and more direct comparison of the mechanical property differences between bamboo scrimber and SPF, offering a fundamental reference for theoretical calculations and finite element simulations involving structures made from bamboo scrimber, SPF, and their composites.