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Curly Redwood, scientifically known as Sequoia sempervirens, is a rare and prized variant of the iconic Coastal Redwood tree species. What distinguishes curly redwood is its stunning figure characterized by intricate, swirling grain patterns that create a three-dimensional, iridescent effect when properly finished. This unique curly grain occurs due to genetic mutations or environmental stress during the tree's growth, resulting in a mesmerizing display of shimmering waves and undulating lines across the wood's surface.Highly sought after by woodworkers and artisans, curly redwood is treasured for its rarity and unparalleled beauty, often used in crafting fine furniture, decorative accents, and specialty items that showcase its exquisite figuring and rich, reddish hue.

cabinetry, crafting, lutherie, musical Instruments, specialty items

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Maple - Quilted

Quilted Maple, scientifically known as Acer macrophyllum, is a species of maple tree renowned for its distinctive grain pattern resembling ripples or waves, resembling the appearance of quilted fabric. This unique figure is caused by irregularities in the tree's growth, resulting in stunning visual depth and complexity. Highly prized by luthiers and woodworkers, Quilted Maple is often used in the crafting of high-end musical instruments, fine furniture, and decorative veneers, adding a touch of elegance and sophistication to any project.Its iridescent figuring and vibrant color variations make it a favorite choice for creating visually captivating pieces that stand out with natural beauty.

boxmaking, cabinetry, furniture, interior panelling, knife handles, lutherie, musical Instruments

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Blackwood - Malaysian

Diospyros ebonasea, commonly known as Malaysian Blackwood or Malaysian Ebony, is a species of tree native to Southeast Asia. It is prized for its dense, dark heartwood, which is highly valued for its use in high-end woodworking, such as in musical instruments, fine furniture, and luxury items. With its distinctive color and durability, Malaysian Blackwood is cherished by artisans and craftsmen worldwide for its exceptional quality and beauty.

boxmaking, cabinetry, crafting, fine furniture, lutherie, musical Instruments, specialty items, turnings

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Maple - Soft Curly Roasted

“Roasting” Soft Curly Maple involves gradually heating the wood up to temperatures of greater than 160 degrees celcius in special heat chambers made of stainless steel under anoxic conditions. The heat removes organic compounds from the wood cells, changing both the physical and chemical make-up of the wood. The process is natural and chemical free. It darkens the wood to a beautiful rich chocolatey brown color whilst still showing the gorgeous grain and figure of the underlying wood.

The thermally modified wood is more dimensionally stable, but the process does reduce bending strength and make the wood a little more brittle. This makes it chip a little easier than the un-modified lumber. The brittleness makes it less suitable for intricate cabinetry, but it is still an excellent choice for less intricate items such as floors, tops, panels, cladding etc.

Extra care needs to be taken when finishing thermally modified wood, as the "bone dry" wood has a tendency to "suck in" much of what is given to it. Our in-house woodworking specialist has had excellent results with Osmo PolyX. He suggests a thicker finish will work better.

fine furniture, flooring, interior panelling, lutherie, musical Instruments, specialty items

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Maple - Birdseye Roasted

“Roasting” Birdseye Maple involves gradually heating the wood up to temperatures of greater than 160 degrees celcius in special heat chambers made of stainless steel under anoxic conditions. The heat removes organic compounds from the wood cells, changing both the physical and chemical make-up of the wood. The process is natural and chemical free. It darkens the wood to a beautiful rich chocolatey brown color whilst still showing the gorgeous grain and figure of the underlying wood.

bandings, crafting, fine furniture, flooring, knife handles, lutherie, musical Instruments, specialty items

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Common Uses

Alder

Considered to be the most abundant hardwood in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, Red Alder has long been used in the region for furniture and cabinetry production -- as well as being a popular choice for electric guitar bodies dating back to when the instrument first went into mass production, in the 1950's. Ranging in color from a light tan to reddish brown, Alder has a soft, lightweight stature -- which makes the wood very easy to work, and it finishes and glues well.

Red Alder is usually sold in two different grades: knotty, and clear. Clear grades are most desired by cabinet and furniture crafters. Many such tradesmen compare the wood's cooperative disposition to that of Black Cherry.

Although technically a hardwood, care must be taken with Alder until finished as its surface can be rather soft (thus, denting easily). The wood is decidedly non-durable, so confining its use to indoor applications and treating the wood with some type of hardening finish (such as lacquer) is recommended.

cabinetry, lutherie, millwork, musical Instruments

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Morado

Morado is known by many names. Pau Ferro, Bolivian Rosewood and Morado are the most common. The wood earned its "... Rosewood" nicknames (by which it is commonly known) because its colors and density are similar. It has a medium brown base typically augmented by black streaks or grain lines, and sometimes even purple, tan and golden secondary hues, and sometimes a purplish tint, overall. Although it can have varying grains, straight-grained pieces are generally very easy to work, and the wood turns smoothly and finishes well. It is considered quite durable, although it can be subject to insect attack.Morado is a popular Brazilian Rosewood substitute and is thought to be about as similar in properties to rosewood as any non-Dalbergia-genus species possibly could be. Its grains are tighter than a typical rosewood specimen, and it is thought to have a more distinctly percussive tap-tone than that of Brazilian. Its tonal response is said to have tight lows, present mids and a clear, singing high end response.Despite the comparisons, it should be noted that the (much more prevalent) Machaerium-genus species of Pau Ferro has less density, hardness and weight than an average rosewood.

cabinetry, flooring, furniture, lutherie, musical Instruments, specialty items, turnings, veneer

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Rosewood - Amazon

Amazon Rosewood has been considered a good substitute for Brazilian Rosewood though its beautiful appearance and desirability as a tonewood should allow it to stand out in its own right. Color tends to a darker reddish brown than its counterpart. Though slightly lower on the Janka scale, Amazon Rosewood is significantly heavier than Brazilian Rosewood. Its density contributes to challenging workability, while the oil content makes for difficult gluing. The effort is rewarded by its fine lustrous polish and superior tonal qualities.

furniture, inlay, lutherie, turnings, veneer

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Spruce - Englemann

Engelmann Spruce is typically a high-altitude mountain evergreen tree, indigenous to the mountainous regions of western North America, with scattered, isolated distribution in surrounding lower-level areas. The wood is prized among many acoustic guitar luthiers, for its superior resonance and tonal response qualities when used as a soundboard (acoustic guitar top). Its color can range from a light off-white to cream.

It is straight grained and has a fine, consistent texture, which makes it generally easy to work -- although common-grade pieces may contain numerous small knots, and the wood can be difficult to stain. Its excellent stiffness-to-weight ratio has made it historically useful in a variety of construction and utility applications, benefited, also, by a virtually limitless domestic supply.

construction, harps, lutherie, musical Instruments

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Ziricote

Ziricote is one of the most popular, visually striking exotic woods in the world. Renowned for its "landscape" or "spiderweb" grain patterns, its colors range from medium to dark shades of brown (occasionally with either a green or purplish tint), and are accentuated by intermingled bands of unpredictable, irregular black growth rings. Sapwood is easily distinguishable by its dull off-white to pale yellow hue.Although it is a fairly dense wood, its typical straight (though sometimes slightly interlocked) grains and fine to medium-fine texture give it cooperative working properties, as it cuts, turns, glues and finishes smoothly.Ziricote is a close relative (and neighbor) of Bocote, with both being Central American woods of the Cordia genus. Its radical, often-dramatic grain patterns have given the wood somewhat of an 'elite' status among international exotic woods enthusiasts.¬† While it has never been an inexpensive wood, recent revelations of epidemic poaching across Mexico have resulted in a greatly reduced supply and sharp price increases on wholesale and retails levels.Unless action is taken to stem the tide (of poaching), Ziricote and other Central American woods could very well be the subject of actions from CITES in the very near future.¬† Interestingly, the bark of the Cordia dodecandra tree and the wood have medicinal properties: the tea which is derived from their infusion is used in traditional medicine in Mexico, to treat coughs, diarrhea and dysentery.

cabinetry, flooring, furniture, gun stocks, joinery, lutherie, musical Instruments, specialty items, trim, turnings, veneer

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Poplar (American Tulipwood)

The Yellow Poplar (Liriodendron Tulipifera) tree is the tallest of all Eastern US hardwoods; the wood it yields is some of the least dense. Yellow Poplar is characterized by a light muted cream color, often with mineral-stained streaks typically of gray and/or green. (Sapwood is ivory- to white-colored, easily distinguished from the heartwood.) Although, traditionally, Poplar has been long considered a "utility" type of lumber, the wood's straight, uniform grains and medium texture affords it very cooperative working properties, and it glues and finishes well when finely sanded.

Yellow Poplar is moderately durable, in spite of its inherent light weight and low density, which has seen it commonly used for crates and pallets throughout the US.

crafting, lutherie, musical Instruments, paneling, utility lumber, veneer

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Rosewood - Honduras

Denser than East Indian Rosewood, Honduran Rosewood is well known for being the preferred wood for Marimba bars, with its ringing, well-rounded tonal properties. It compares well to Brazilian Rosewood (many claim it actually superior), producing a well-balanced acoustic guitar, with great projection and strong lows and highs. (In fact, during the '50?s and '60?s, the great flamenco guitar crafters considered it to be the only acceptable substitute to Brazilian Rosewood.)

Honduran Rosewood's grain lines are unusually tight and straight (though sometimes wavy or interlocked). The color ranges from a medium tan to a brownish brick red color, medium brown (sometimes with a purplish tint) or even a medium to dark burgundy, with occasional dark brown or black ink lines. Due to the wood's density and high oil content, it can be difficult to cut, machine and glue. Its texture can range from fine to medium; (not unlike Braz Rw) it is porous, and those pores are usually medium- to large-sized. As would be expected -- given its oily nature -- the wood has a rich natural luster.

Honduran Rosewood has grown difficult to obtain in recent years, due to a poaching epidemic in Belize which victimized the species in 2011 and 2012. Despite a wane in its supply lines, demand for the wood remains constant. Every major source we could find were unanimous in listing "2200 lbf" as the Janka Hardness rating for this wood, but we consider this figure to be very suspect. Most knowledgeable sources compare its weight and density to Brazilian Rosewood. The same sources list Bocote's Janka Hardness at 2200 lbf, also, and the Hon Rw examples we have handled are far more dense than any Bocote. (Some darker examples were more along the lines of a Cocobolo-type density.)

cabinetry, furniture, harps, lutherie, musical Instruments, turnings, veneer

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Maple - Ambrosia

Ambrosia Maple is a general term attached to a variety of Acer (true maple) species whose boards included colorful bug "trails" -- caused by a fungus carried by the Ambrosia Beetle which penetrates the tree sap as the beetle eats into the tree, and it spreads both through the worm hole and up and down in the tree (carried along by the sap) and causes discoloring of the wood in streaks. The two primary species which draw the beetle's attention are Acer rubrum (Red Maple) and Acer saccharum (Sugar Maple), although -- with there reputedly being more than sixty different Acer species indigenous to North America -- this unusual phenomenon is certainly not confined to just the two. Weight and density can vary greatly -- depending upon the actual species -- the typical varieties of maple figuring can also be present, often creating some very unique, visually spectacular specimens.

Like any other maple, it is easily worked; generally cooperative through all phases. It's not much of a stretch to imagine -- since bugs have, quite obviously, already penetrated the wood's surface -- that the wood is decidedly non-durable, although it is generally stable enough for use in furniture and guitars. Its surface is typically darker than most sap maple (often featuring secondary / additional discolorations and other long streaks), although it retains the same high degree of natural luster.The scientific explanation is that the impregnated Ambrosia Beetle burrows into the maple tree (presumably for a safe place to deposit larvae), carrying fungi on its feet into the wood -- which serves as food for the insect's offspring, when they hatch. The fungal residue left behind as it digs into the maple can cause discoloration throughout the wood, via the tree's sap, in addition to the dramatically contrasting (mostly) blue and (sometimes) green trails which surround the small tunnels they chew. The beetles prefer wood that is not soaking wet, but that is in the beginning stages of drying. Once kiln dried, they will not re-infest.

crafting, furniture, lutherie, specialty items, turnings, veneer

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Maple - Birdseye

Birdseye Maple is another title which does not, necessarily, denote a specific Acer species -- although the bulk of what is sold is Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) -- but rather a unique figuring that occurs in maple as a result of numerous small- to medium-sized knots accumulating in the wood. It remains one of the most coveted and sought-after of all figured maple varieties.Although it has never been scientifically proven, the prevailing school of thought is that the figuring is reportedly caused by unfavorable growing conditions. As the tree attempts to access more sunlight, buds begin to sprout in its trunk -- to try and grow more branches, to access more light -- but the tree lacks the requisite nutrients to support the growth and the new shoots are aborted, resulting in "birdseyes" (small knots) embedded in the tree's wood.There can be very large variances in birdseye size and content. Boards with larger concentrations of birdseyes are, obviously, more sought after and thus command greater prices than more sparsely decorated pieces. When sanded and finish-sanded, boards featuring somewhat larger birdseyes can have an almost 3D look -- like brown bumps, sitting up on a light golden surface.There have been tearout issues associated with birdseyes, as sometimes these tiny knots can wind up leaving tiny voids. There are also justified concerns that the tiny voids may occur sometime after the wood has been put into service. Because of this, some electric guitar luthiers shy away from using Birdseye Maple for fretboard wood, as slotting the frets can prove adventurous (if not downright painful:-)). Others, who do use it, will apply a finish coat of some type of protective lacquer over the fretboard when completing the neck.

cabinetry, furniture, lutherie, specialty items, veneer

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Goncalo Alves

Goncalo Alves, often called “Tigerwood,” is a stunning hardwood prized for its vibrant orange hues and bold dark stripes. It’s a top choice for woodworkers and furniture makers who appreciate its strength, durability, and beautiful appearance. This wood is not only strong and capable of withstanding wear and tear, but it’s also a joy to work with. Despite its density, Goncalo Alves turns smoothly and finishes with an impressive shine. Just remember to take extra care when gluing due to its natural oils.

The wood’s unique patterns, which can range from straight to wavy or interlocked, along with its fine texture and natural sheen, make each piece stand out. You’ll find Goncalo Alves in high-end furniture, cabinets, and musical instruments like guitars, where its sound quality and affordability have made it increasingly popular. It’s also perfect for decorative items and intricate carvings, showcasing its beauty and versatility.

In short, if you’re looking for a wood that combines durability with a distinctive look, Goncalo Alves is an excellent choice. Its unique charm and reliable performance make it a favorite among craftsmen and designers.

Often quite dull, we are very proud to be able to offer such stripey stock available at the moment.

cabinetry, carving, flooring, furniture, lutherie, specialty items, turnings, veneer