Material

Ash

Wood Description
Ash is a ring-porous wood with prominent growth ring patterns. The sapwood is light in color and can very from a creamy color to nearly white. Depending on the species, the heartwood can vary in color from pale yellow to light brown with greyish tones, sometimes tinged with red. A very straight-grained wood, Ash can appear similar to Red Oak, with a coarse, even texture.

Region
American Ash is readily available and grows predominantly through the middle and northern Atlantic regions, extending into Canada. Some species also grow abundantly in the Appalachian region.

Main Uses
Ash is a popular wood for sports uses, including water skis, oars, cues and baseball bats. Its bending properties and other characteristics also make it a favorite for use as tool handles and boat parts. Other uses include flooring, paneling, decorative woodwork, furniture and cabinets.
Basswood

Wood Description
The sapwood of Basswood is very pale and may appear white or cream-colored, or a pale, pinkish-tan. The heartwood is also very pale with occasional brown or reddish streaks. The very light tones of both sapwood and heartwood make it difficult to differentiate between the two. The wood is relatively soft for a hardwood, and has a fine, even texture. The grain is straight, and essentially, indistinct.

Working Properties
The light, soft characteristics of Basswood make it easy to work with both hand and machine tools. It has low strength properties, but once dry, provides good dimensional stability. It has poor nail-holding characteristics, but screws and glues with relatively good results. Basswood yields a good finish with either paint or stain.

Region
Basswood is most commonly found in the Great Lakes Region, including areas of both Canada and the United States. Growth areas extend east to Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and south through portions of Oklahoma, Arkansas and Tennessee.

Main Uses
The soft characteristics of Basswood make it a popular choice for carving and turning. It is also used for boxes, crates, furniture substrates and plywood. Basswood is used in window treatments as shade rollers and for wooden blinds
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Birch

Other names: Yellow Birch, Sweet Birch

Wood Description
Depending on the species, Birch sapwood appears light, with a cream-like or white color. The heartwood may be light reddish-brown or dark brown tinged with red. The close, straight grain is finely textured and uniform in appearance, with the grain more prominent in Yellow Birch than Paper Birch. On occasion, some Birch species will present a curly grain.

Region
Birch grows throughout the northeastern United States and is the state tree of New Hampshire. It also thrives in the Great Lakes area, including lake areas in southern Canada. Yellow and Sweet Birch can be found in the Appalachians, extending into areas of northern Georgia. Availability is limited to some extent.

Main Uses
Birch is a popular hardwood for furniture, furniture frames, decorative woodwork, cabinets and paneling. Birch veneers are extremely popular for high-grade plywood.
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Cedar, Aromatic

Other names: Eastern Red Cedar

Wood Description
Cedar is known for its attractive red color and sweet smell. The heartwood ranges in color from medium reddish-brown to a deep orange-red. Growth rings are clearly visible with strong contrast between early wood zones and denser, late wood zones. The grain is usually straight, although sometimes marred by knots, and has a coarse texture. Cedar is most well known for its scent and its ability to repel or kill most insects that might damage clothing and linens.

Region
Aromatic Cedar is found in abundance in a specific region of the United States that ranges from east Texas, across Oklahoma into Tennessee.

Main Uses
Cedar is often used in outdoor furniture and decorative garden accessories, as well as for gates, decks and fences, because of its natural resistance to decay. It is also used in chests and closets for its aromatic and insect-repelling purposes.
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Cherry

Wood Description
Cherry heartwood offers a beautiful, light reddish-brown color that darkens with age and exposure to sunlight. Some heartwoods take on reddish tones similar to Mahogany and deepen over time to a dark reddish-brown with golden overtones. The sapwood can be very light, ranging in shades from white to pale yellow. The straight, tight, satiny grain of Cherry can be marred by flecks or small gum pockets.

Region
Cherry is found in the midwestern and eastern United States, with a high area of concentration in Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and New York. Cherry is one of the most abundant American hardwoods.

Main Uses
Cherry is most often used for fine furniture, cabinetry, flooring, mouldings and decorative millwork. It is also an excellent choice for high-end paneling, boat interiors and musical instruments.
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Cherry, Curly

Wood Description
Cherry heartwood offers a beautiful, light reddish-brown color that darkens with age and exposure to sunlight. Some heartwoods take on reddish tones similar to Mahogany, and deepen over time to a dark reddish-brown with golden overtones. Cherry, which usually has a tight, straight, satiny grain, can also be highly figured, and therefor, referred to as Curly Cherry.

Region
Cherry is found in the Midwestern and eastern United States, with a high area of concentration in Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and New York. Cherry is one of the most abundant American hardwoods.

Main Uses
Curly Cherry is most often used for fine furniture, cabinetry, musical instruments and decorative millwork. Select,"curly"logs are sliced into decorative veneers and used as furniture inlays and forhigh-end paneling.
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Hickory

Wood Description
Hickory and Pecan are virtually indistinguishable species within the Walnut family of trees. The appearance of Hickory/Pecan sapwood is white, and quite often tinged with brown. The heartwood ranges in color from pale brown, to brown with red tinges. The heartwood occasionally takes on deeper reddish-brown tones, and is referred to as"red"Hickory. Both the sapwood and heartwood are course in texture, usually with a fine, straight grain.

Region
Hickory/Pecan is primarily an American wood, with growth concentration throughout the eastern Atlantic states, including Georgia, Tennessee, and the Carolinas in the South, continuing up through areas of southeastern Canada. Although not an abundant species, Hickory is readily available.

Main Uses
A popular use of Hickory is as chips in smokers and barbecues to flavor meat. It's resilience and strength makes it an excellent choice for tool handles and wooden ladders. More decorative uses include furniture, paneling, flooring and cabinets.
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Mahogany (Honduras)

Wood Description
The sapwood is yellowish-white to pale brown, with heartwood that varies from medium to deep red-brown, and in some heavier woods, a deep, rich red. It is mostly straight-grained, and ranges from medium to coarse with a uniform texture. Honduras Mahogany occasionally is streaked with ripple marks and may also display gum deposits.

Region
Honduras Mahogany grows throughout Central and South America. Commercial supplies most often come from southern Mexico; from countries along the Atlantic coast from Belize to Panama; and in Columbia and Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil.

Main Uses
Mahogany is a preferred wood for high-end furniture and reproductions. It is also used for boat and ship interiors, paneling, pianos and caskets. Rotary cut veneers are used in plywood, especially plywood paneling. Sliced veneers displaying decorative figures are popular for use in high-end furniture.
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Maple, Bird's Eye

Wood Description
Bird's Eye Maple has a characteristic pattern, much like a random series of dots, the create an image similar in appearance to a bird's eyes. Bird's Eye Maple come from the Hard Maple, also known as Rock or Sugar Maple. The creamy white sapwood of the Hard Maple is often tinged with pink or pale reddish-brown tones. The heartwood is more red in color, varying from light to dark reddish-brown. The growth rings produce a very fine brown line throughout the wood. The grain of Hard Maple is tight with a fine texture, and usually straight, although several variations of"curly"or burled grain, which are most desirable, can be found in some Hard Maples.

Region
The Hard Maple is a cold-climate tree and grows abundantly in the northeastern United States, middle Atlantic states, and throughout the Great Lakes region, as well as in areas of eastern Canada. It is a popular and abundant American hardwood.

Main Uses
Hard Maple is a popular choice for furniture, cabinets, countertops and musical instruments. Bird's Eye Maple is rotary cut when sliced as veneers to produce a continuous sheet. By using the rotary-cut method, the Bird's Eye figure becomes more apparent, and is highly prized for decorative use.
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Maple, Curly

Wood Description
Curly Maple occurs when the heartwood of the Hard Maple is highly figured. The heartwood is reddish in color, varying from light to dark reddish-brown. The growth rings produce a very fine brown line throughout the wood. The grain of Hard Maple is tight with a fine texture.

Region
The Hard Maple is a cold-climate tree and grows abundantly in the northeastern United States, middle Atlantic states, and throughout the Great Lakes region, as well as in areas of eastern Canada. It is a popular and abundant American hardwood.

Main Uses
Hard Maple is a popular choice for furniture, cabinets, countertops and musical instruments. Curly Maple is often sliced as veneers and used decoratively in furniture, custom cabinetry and for paneling.
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Maple, Hard

Wood Description
The creamy white sapwood of the Hard Maple is often tinged with pink or pale reddish-brown tones. The heartwood is more red in color, varying from light to dark reddish-brown. The growth rings produce a very fine brown line throughout the wood. The grain of Hard Maple is tight with a fine texture, and usually straight, although several variations of "curly"or burled grain, which are most desirable, can be found in some Hard Maples. The burled wood resembles small circular or elliptical figures, that also are called "birds-eye,"and when more irregular in nature are called "fiddleback. "

Region
The Hard Maple is a cold-climate tree, and grows abundantly in the northeastern United States, middle Atlantic states, and throughout the Great Lakes region, as well as in areas of eastern Canada. It is a popular and abundant American hardwood.

Main Uses
Hard Maple is a popular choice for furniture, cabinets, countertops and musical instruments. Hard Maple is used for cutting boards, bowls and other kitchenware, since it carries no taste and holds up well.
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Maple, Soft

Wood Description
The sapwood of Soft Maple varies in color from creamy white to greyish-white, and is sometimes marked with darker colored pith flecks. Although not as rich as Hard Maple, the heartwood is similar in color, with reddish-brown tones ranging from light to dark. The growth rings of Soft Maple are not as distinct as those of Hard Maple. Soft Maple is straight-grained, without the exceptional burled or "birds-eye" characteristics that can be found in Hard Maple.

Region
The Soft Maple grows throughout the eastern United States, for the most part, with some species thriving in the Pacific Northwest (Oregon, Washington state), as well as areas of western Canada.

Main Uses
Soft Maple is commonly used in furniture, kitchen cabinets, turnings, plywood veneers and decorative veneers. It's staining properties and attractive appearance make it a popular substitute for Cherry.
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Poplar

Formal Name: Liriodendron Tulipifera
Other Names: Yellow Poplar, Tulip Wood

Wood Description
Poplar sapwood ranges in color from creamy white, to greyish-white, to white with a yellowish cast, and is sometimes striped. The heartwood, which is usually tan, also presents a wide variety of tones, sometimes with a slightly greenish cast, and occasionally with dark purplish streaks. Poplar offers a uniform, fine texture and is light to medium in weight with a straight grain.

Region
The Yellow Poplar is one of the most abundant hardwoods in the Eastern United States. Poplar grows throughout the Appalachian region and is also found in the South along the Gulf Coast, in central Florida, and in areas of Arkansas and Louisiana.

Main Uses
Poplar gained wide usage for furniture framing and drawers in the early part of the 20th century. Today, it often is used for mouldings and millwork, boxes, pallets and shipping crates. Poplar is also used widely in plywood veneers and particle board.
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Red Oak

Wood Description
Red Oak sapwood ranges from white to light brown in color. Most varieties of Red Oak heartwood will have golden, reddish tones, although some display deeper, reddish-brown tones. The wood has a course texture with a straight grain and shorter rays than White Oak.

Region
Red Oak grows throughout the eastern United States up through areas of eastern Canada. Oaks are the most abundant American hardwood species, with Red Oak more prevalent than White Oak.

Main Uses
Red Oak is a popular wood for furniture, especially Mission, country and contemporary styles. It is also used widely in cabinetry, flooring, architectural millwork, mouldings, paneling and caskets
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Black Walnut

Other Names: Black Walnut
Wood Description

Walnut sapwood is very creamy white in color, while the heartwood, which ranges in color from light to a rich, dark brown, and matures to an almost purplish-black hue. Walnut often carries characteristically dark brown or purplish streaks. Walnut has a coarse, yet uniform texture, and while usually straight-grained, it is sometimes wavy or curly. This species produces a large variety of figure types.

Region
The Walnut tree grows widely throughout North America along areas of the East Coast from Florida to Maine, and outside Canada. Walnut is one of the few American species which has been planted as well as naturally regenerated.

Main Uses
Walnut is a popular wood for high-end furniture and cabinets, especially in combination with lighter woods to produce decorative effects. In the United States, it is the standard wood for rifle butts and gun stocks. Walnut is often used in the manufacture of plywood and for furniture veneers
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White Oak

Wood Description
The sapwood of White Oak is light in color and can range from a pale yellow-brown to a greyish-white. The heartwood may be either light brown in color, or a darker brown with deep, golden tones. The distinctive coarse texture and straight grain has longer rays than Red Oak. Fasting-growing Oaks, such as those grown in the South, produce wider, more prominent growth rings.

Region
White Oak grows abundantly throughout the eastern United States, from the South, up through the Appalachian area, northward into areas of southeastern Canada. Oak is the most widely available American hardwood, with White Oak second to Red Oak in abundance.

Main Uses
White Oak is a popular selection for flooring, stairparts, architectural millwork, pulpits and pews, furniture and cabinetry. Its water-resistant characteristics have made it a preferred choice for ship timbers, barrels and casks. White Oak is also widely used for paneling and decorative veneers.
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American Heart Pine

Other Names: Longleaf Pine, Pitch Pine

Wood Description
The reclaimed timbers referred to as American Heart Pine have a color and beauty unique to its age. The wood presents a dense, straight grain and exuberant color ranging from light honey to dark reddish-brown, with a rich patina acquired with age. American Heart Pine, in its original state, came from old-growth Longleaf Pines as much as 170' tall that took 150-400 years to mature. These extremely large Pines provided for the production of boards, beams and ship hulls of great width and girth from single trees.

Region
The original growth region for American Heart Pine was from Virginia to central Florida, and westward along the Gulf Coast, as far west as Texas. Today, reclaimed timbers are gathered from around the world from old buildings and ships.

Main Uses
The durability of American Heart Pine, combined with its beauty have made it a popular choice for cabinetry, flooring, paneling and wainscoting. It is also used for stair parts and custom millwork.
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Bloodwood

Other Names: Satine, Satinwood, Satine Rouge, Satine Rubane

Wood Description
The sapwood of Bloodwood is clearly demarcated and yellowish in color. The heartwood varies in color from red with a golden luster, to a deep, rich reddish-brown. The grain ranges from straight to slightly interlocked and wavy. It is fine textured and enhanced by a satiny appearance.

Region
Bloodwood grows in the Amazon Basin and a wide range of tropical South American areas, including French Guiana, Venezuela, Peru and Brazil. It also grows in areas of Panama.

Main Uses
Bloodwood is used mainly as decorative veneers in small quantities for marquetry, inlay and for banding in high-end furniture and cabinetry.
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Bubinga

Other Names: African Rosewood, Kevazingo

Wood Description
Bubinga sapwood is very pale with clear demarcations. A variety of colors can be found in the heartwood, that include pink, vivid red, or red-brown with purple veining. On exposure, the veining becomes less conspicuous, and the deep colors fade to yellow or medium brown with a reddish tint. Bubinga has a fine, even texture with a straight or interlocked grain. Bubinga from the Gabon area often has a wavy grain, and is sometimes highly figured, producing a decorative appearance when flat- and quarter-sawn.

Region
Bubinga grows in Equatorial Africa, from Cameroon and Gabon to southeast Nigeria, to the Congo region, and to some extent, in Zaire.

Main Uses
Bubinga is often used for knife and brush handles. The most popular use of Bubinga is as veneers, especially the highly figured logs. Decorative veneers are used on furniture and cabinets and for paneling. The figured veneers are especially desirable for furniture inlays.
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Butternut

Other Names: White Walnut

Wood Description
Heartwood is a medium to dark brown color, but not as dark as black walnut which it is often compared to. Grain is straight with a coarse but soft texture. Texture and density is similar to basswood and has many of the same working properties.

Region
Butternut is readily found throughout Canada and the United States.

Main Uses
Butternut is an excellent carving wood. Common uses include cabinetry, joinery, and turning.
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Canary Wood

Wood Description
Sapwood is a light brown color that contrast sharply from the vibrant heartwood colors ranging from brown to yellow with red and purple stripes in the grain pattern. Its grain is straight and coarse, similar to oak, with a hard texture.

Region
Canarywood is foung throughout Central and South America.

Main Uses
Include inlays, furniture, turnings, and jewelry boxes.

Cedar, Spanish

Other Names: South American Cedar, Brazilian Cedar, Cigar-box Cedar

Wood Description
The heartwood of Spanish Cedar ranges in color from pinkish- to reddish-brown, when first cut. The color darkens as it ages to a dark reddish-brown, and sometimes displays a purplish tinge. The sapwood ranges in tones from white to pinkish-white. The grain is prominent and usually straight, but sometimes appears interlocked. The wood texture ranges from fine and uniform to coarse and uneven, with a medium luster. Spanish Cedar produces a distinctive odor and is often oily on the surface.

Region
Spanish Cedar grows in Central and South America from Mexico to Argentina. It is found in all South American countries except Chile.

Main Uses
Spanish Cedar is popular for use in cigar boxes, blanket chests, boat building, home construction and decks. It is also used in utility plywood, as plywood core stock and as sliced and rotary-cut veneers, especially for decorative veneers and paneling.
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Cherry, Curly

Wood Description
Cherry heartwood offers a beautiful, light reddish-brown color that darkens with age and exposure to sunlight. Some heartwoods take on reddish tones similar to Mahogany, and deepen over time to a dark reddish-brown with golden overtones. Cherry, which usually has a tight, straight, satiny grain, can also be highly figured, and therefore, referred to as Curly Cherry.

Region
Cherry is found in the Midwestern and eastern United States, with a high area of concentration in Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and New York. Cherry is one of the most abundant American hardwoods.

Main Uses
Curly Cherry is most often used for fine furniture, cabinetry, musical instruments and decorative millwork. Select,"curly"logs are sliced into decorative veneers and used as furniture inlays and forhigh-end paneling.

Cocobolo

Wood Description
When first cut, the heartwood of Cocobolo displays a wide range of yellow and red-orange colors. It fades on exposure to a deep, rich orange with black stripes and mottling. It has a fine texture and irregular, interlocked grain.

Region
Cocobolo grows in the drier uplands of the Pacific regions of Central America, extending from Panama to southwestern Mexico.

Main Uses
Cocobolo is used mainly as brush backs and handles for knives and tools. Since it turns well, it is also used in wooden jewelry and for chessmen.
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Ebony, African

Other Names: Madagascar Ebony, Nigerian Ebony
Wood Description

African Ebony varies in color from grey to jet black. It may be solid black, or black/brown and streaked with black/brown. The sapwood is pink when first cut, darkening to a muted red-brown. The texture is very fine, with a grain that may be straight to slightly interlocked, or somewhat curly.

Region
African Ebony forms nearly pure stands in riverbank areas of Equatorial West Africa, including southern Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon and Zaire.

Main Uses
African Ebony is often used as parts of musical instruments, including piano and organ keys and violin fingerboards. It also is used as handles for cutlery and tools, and as brush backs. As saw-cut veneers, it is used to repair antiques.
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Ebony, Macassar

Other Names: Mecassar Ebony, Indian Ebony

Wood Description
Macassar Ebony is known for its extreme dark, almost black color, which today is very rare. Ebony heartwood can range in color from dark brown to greyish-brown, with black streaks or brown mottling. The wood has a fine, even texture and is usually straight-grained.

Region
Macassar Ebony grows in lower latitudes right round the world, from southeast Asia, through India, including the East Indies, Philippines, and Celebes Islands, Africa and Central America.

Main Uses
Macassar Ebony is used for the black keys of keyboard instruments and as fittings for violins. It is also used for cabinetry, brush backs, tools handles and billiard cues. Ebony is also sliced for decorative veneers.
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Goncalo Alves

Other Names: Kingwood, Zebrawood, Tigerwood, Brazilian Rosewood

Wood Description
The heartwood of Goncalo Alves ranges in color from russet brown to reddish-brown with rich mottling and wide, irregular, dark brown stripes. Once exposed, it darkens to a red or dark reddish- brown with nearly black stripes. The sapwood shows sharp demarcation and is greyish or brownish-white in color. Goncalo Alves can have a striking figure caused by irregular dark longitudinal bands. The grain varies from straight to wavy, and the uniform wood texture ranges from fine to medium.

Region
Goncalo Alves is a common tree in many regions from Mexico and Central America through tropical areas of South American, including Colombia,Venezuela, and Brazil.

Main Uses
Goncalo Alves is popular for use in high-end furniture and cabinet making. Decorative veneers are used in paneling and for face veneering
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Lacewood

Other Names: Silky-oak, Australian Silky-oak, Northern Silky-oak, Queensland Silky-oak

Wood Description
The narrow sapwood ranges in color from almost white to pale yellow. Lacewood is pale pink to light reddish-brown in color, with a silver grain that gives the wood a silvery sheen. With age, the heartwood matures to a brownish color. Its conspicuous, large rays give it an appearance similar to Oak. The wood is straight-grained with a moderately coarse to even texture.

Region
Lacewood is believed to be native to Queensland, Australia, specifically in the northern coastal areas. Other species also are found in India and Indonesia.

Main Uses
A decorative wood, Lacewood is popular for ornamental furniture inlays. It can be peeled or sliced to produce decorative veneers, hence its popularity for paneling and in furniture and cabinet making.
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Mahogany, African

Wood Description
African Mahogany is pink when first cut. Over time, it darkens to a reddish-brown, with streaks of pale, golden brown. The sapwood is yellowish-brown in color, and is not always distinctly demarcated from the heartwood. The grain is usually interlocked, giving the wood a distinctive stripe or "ribbon" figure in quarter-sawn stock. The texture is even, and ranges from medium to coarse, but even with a lustrous surface.

Region
African Mahogany grows in lower rainfall regions in tropical West, Central and East Africa from Portuguese Guinea to Angola, and from the Sudan to Mozambique.

Main Uses
African Mahogany is widely used in furniture making and cabinetry, as well as office and bank fittings. It is also used in boat-building and interior joinery. It is a popular wood for plywood and other veneers.
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Mahogany, Honduras

Other Names: Brazilian Mahogany, Peruvian Mahogany

Wood Description
The sapwood is yellowish-white to pale brown with heartwood that varies from medium to deep red-brown, and in some heavier woods, a deep, rich red. It is mostly straight-grained, and ranges from medium to coarse, with a uniform texture. Honduras Mahogany occasionally is marked with ripple marks and may also display gum deposits.

Region
Honduras Mahogany grows throughout Central and South America. Commercial supplies most often come from southern Mexico; from countries along the Atlantic coast. It is found from Belize to Panama; and in Columbia and Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil.

Main Uses
Mahogany is a preferred wood for high-end furniture and reproductions. It is also used for boat and ship interiors, paneling, pianos and caskets. Rotary-cut veneers are used in plywood, especially plywood paneling. Sliced veneers displaying decorative figures are popular for use in high-end furniture.
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Maple, Birdseye

Wood Description
Bird's Eye Maple has a characteristic pattern, much like a random series of dots, the create an image similar in appearance to a bird's eyes. Bird's Eye Maple come from the Hard Maple, also known as Rock or Sugar Maple. The creamy white sapwood of the Hard Maple is often tinged with pink or pale reddish-brown tones. The heartwood is more red in color, varying from light to dark reddish-brown. The growth rings produce a very fine brown line throughout the wood. The grain of Hard Maple is tight with a fine texture, and usually straight, although several variations of"curly"or burled grain, which are most desirable, can be found in some Hard Maples.

Region
The Hard Maple is a cold-climate tree and grows abundantly in the northeastern United States, middle Atlantic states, and throughout the Great Lakes region, as well as in areas of eastern Canada. It is a popular and abundant American hardwood.

Main Uses
Hard Maple is a popular choice for furniture, cabinets, countertops and musical instruments. Bird's Eye Maple is rotary cut when sliced as veneers to produce a continuous sheet. By using the rotary-cut method, the Bird's Eye figure becomes more apparent, and is highly prized for decorative use.
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Maple, Curly

Wood Description
Curly Maple occurs when the heartwood of the Hard Maple is highly figured. The heartwood is reddish in color, varying from light to dark reddish-brown. The growth rings produce a very fine brown line throughout the wood. The grain of Hard Maple is tight with a fine texture.

Region
The Hard Maple is a cold-climate tree and grows abundantly in the northeastern United States, middle Atlantic states, and throughout the Great Lakes region, as well as in areas of eastern Canada. It is a popular and abundant American hardwood.

Main Uses
Hard Maple is a popular choice for furniture, cabinets, countertops and musical instruments. Curly Maple is often sliced as veneers and used decoratively in furniture, custom cabinetry and for paneling.
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Oak, English

Other Names: European Oak, White Oak, English Brown Oak

Wood Description
The heartwood is a pale yellow-brown or"biscuit"color, that may range to light tan or deep brown in color. It is usually straight grained, but cross-grained material can occur in slow growing trees. English Oak displays conspicuous growth rings and has a coarse texture. The sapwood is easily distinguished from the heartwood, though similar in color. Like many other Oaks, broad rays, distinctive growth rings and a silvery grain produce an attractive figure when quarter-sawn. English"Brown"Oak took on its color from the beef-steak fungus. The color cannot be reproduced with stains, and is considered highly desirable.

Region
This species occurs in Great Britain, France, Poland and other areas of Europe, as well as in Canada, including New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec.

Main Uses
English Oak is used in furniture, joinery and flooring. Its resistance to the passage of liquids make it an ideal material for whiskey, cognac and sherry casks. English Oak stained by the beef-steak fungus, often called Brown Oak, is extremely desirable and is converted into decorative veneers for use in furniture and paneling.
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Padauk

Other Names: Camwood, Barwood

Wood Description
African Padauk has a vividly colored heartwood, that when freshly cut appears bright orange. After exposure, it turns to a deep purple-brown with red streaks. The distinct sapwood ranges in color from white to yellowish-brown. It has a lustrous surface and moderately coarse texture. The grain can be straight or interlocked.

Main Uses
Padauk is used in high-end joinery, furniture and cabinet making. It is also used for fine turnery, including decorative tool and knife handles. It can be sliced and peeled for decorative veneers.
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Purpleheart

Other Names: Violetwood, Ameranth

Wood Description
The heartwood is a dull brown when freshly cut, becoming deep purple on exposure. After extended exposure, the wood deepens in color to a rich brownish-red. The off-white sapwood is sharply demarcated from the heartwood. The texture ranges from medium to fine with a medium to high surface luster. The grain may be straight, but is sometimes interlocked and wavy or irregular.

Region
Most Purpleheart comes from the Guianas and from the Amazon region of Brazil. Other species are found throughout Mexico and Central America.

Main Uses
Purpleheart is most often used in heavy construction, including bridge building, fresh water piling and dock work. Less rarely, it is used decoratively in turnery, marquetry, cabinets, fine furniture and parquet flooring
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Rosewood, Honduras

Wood Description
Honduras Rosewood has a yellow sapwood with an appearance distinctly different from the heartwood. The pinkish-brown to purple-brown tones of the heartwood appear in alternating dark and light streaks with black markings, creating a very attractive figure. The wood ranges from fine to medium in texture and usually presents a straight grain, although it is occasionally wavy, presenting a decorative figure.

Region
Honduras Rosewood is found exclusively in Belize (British Honduras) and grows in river areas throughout Central America.

Main Uses
Since Honduras Rosewood turns well, it is often used for knife handles and piano legs. Other uses include percussion bars of xylophones, and fingerboards for banjoes, guitars and mandolins. It is also used in fine furniture and cabinets, with highly figured logs sliced for decorative veneers and inlay work.
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Teak, Burmese

Wood Description
Most Teak is a rich golden brown in color, but may also vary from rich brown to a deep, chocolate brown with dark, almost black, markings. The grain may be either straight or wavy with conspicuous growth rings. It has a coarse texture and oily feel, as well as a leather-like odor.

Region
Burmese Teak grows in Burma, Thailand and India. India provides the largest commercial resource. It has also been planted in other areas around the world, including East and West Africa and the Caribbean.

Main Uses
Teak is most often used in ship-building and decking. Since it is acid-resistant, it is used in laboratories as bench tops and chemical vats. It is also used in furniture and cabinet making and in garden furniture.
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Yellowheart

Other Names: Yellow Wood, West Indian Satinwood

Wood Description
The sapwood of Yellowheart ranges from creamy white to light yellow, and is not clearly differentiated from the heartwood. The heartwood is creamy to golden yellow and darkens with exposure to a light golden orange/tan color. It has a fine, even texture with high luster and interlocked or irregular grain with a roey, mottled figure.

Region
Yellowheart is a tropical wood commonly found in the Caribbean Islands of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. It also occurs in the lower Florida Keys, Bermuda, the Bahamas, and Brazil.

Main Uses
Yellowheart is used only in small quantities,and usually as decorative veneers for inlay and marquetry in fine furniture and cabinetry.
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Zebrawood

Other Names: African Zebrawood, Zebrano

Wood Description
Zebrawood is known for its highly figured heartwood. The heartwood is straw-like in color and distinctively marked with narrow veining or "streaks" of color ranging from dark brown to almost black. These streaks give the heartwood a zebra-stripe appearance. The sapwood is whitish in color, and virtually without feature. The wavy, interlocked grain produces a ribbon figure. The texture ranges from medium to coarse and has a high luster surface.

Region
Zebrawood is a tropical African hardwood that grows in Gabon, the Cameroon Republic, and the Congo.

Main Uses
The decorative nature of this highly figured wood makes it a popular wood for high quality veneers. Quarter-sliced veneers are used for furniture inlays, cross banding and marquetry. It is also used to produce decorative millwork.