I thought it would be a good idea to talk a little bit about the kinds of woods I like to use when making stuff. Of course, it’s all a matter of personal preference — but preferences driven by a number of variables.

As stated before, our mantra is domestic species, full stop. Yes, I know true mahogany is gorgeous, and durable. And who wouldn’t want an ebony clock a la The Masque of the Red Death bonging out the hours inside one’s drawing room while perusing the latest mystery stories of Sir Conan Doyle next to a crackling fire.

Can’t do it. Too many ethical implications for planet and people that I don’t want to be part of. Feel free to challenge me on that. My way of disagreeing is very polite.

Besides, we have everything we need right here in good old North America without needing to inflict any more suffering abroad than is already out there.

So, here’s a little musing on what I like to work with — and a bit of the why. 

Cherry
Not the kind from which delicious summer snacking is had. Different species altogether. Furniture cherry is Prunus serotina (black cherry). The color, the workability with all manner of tool, and how it takes a finish — particularly hand-rubbed oils and waxes — make it a pleasure to work with. It’s plentiful, too, and I can usually get long and wide timbers without much trouble.

English Walnut
Juglans regia is not native to North America but has been cultivated here for centuries, particularly in California orchards. I just love the color and figure of English walnut. It works similarly to black walnut but with lighter tones. I have an office desk made from it ( photo on the site somewhere.) The only downside is I almost always see it in live-edge slabs rather than board stock, at least where I source my materials. I’ve never seen it available as board stock actually. That means building with it usually requires slabs, which can get pricey. But that’s okay. You’ll do anything for the ones you love.

White Oak
Quartersawn, that is. Quercus alba. White gold. Shows beautiful ray flecking when cut this way and is the signature of Arts & Crafts style furniture. It works well, though with its open pores it drinks up finish. Expensive as all get out these days. I’ve got an upcoming project for an exterior door and sidelight/casing in quartersawn white oak. Should be cool. Expensive, but cool. Also good for building frigates and ships-of-the-line, if you’re into that sort of thing.

Butternut
Sometimes people call it “white walnut,” which makes perfect sense because it is a Juglans species and close cousin to good old black walnut, though lighter in color, softer, and easier to work, relatively speaking. It’s at risk these days from butternut canker disease, so finding quality stock is less common. I like it for its warm tone and workability. Sometimes you can get this in board stock. I don’t see it locally that way, but a few online places have some listings. Locally its usually just live edge slabs from my experience.

Maple
I like maple. Its inexpensive (relative term, of course) and one can obtain it in all kinds of interesting ways — pure white, heavy tiger curl, birdseye, ambrosia. Hard maple (Acer saccharum) is tough stuff (think bowling alleys and gym floors), while softer maples are a bit more forgiving. Finishes beautifully thanks to its tight pores, and it’s versatile for just about any project.

Quartersawn Sycamore
Platanus occidentalis, American sycamore. Flat-sawn sycamore is plain and you generally only see it in slab form, but quartersawn sycamore…that’s where it’s at. QS sycamore has a rather striking figure. I’m not sure how I would describe what it looks like other than ‘its cool’. That’s why it’s almost always sawn this way versus plain sawn. And, of course, the figuring varies board to board and even within a single board so when you see heavy/crazy amounts of figuring in boards, snap em up and stack in the shop for the future.

Sassafras
Sassafras albidum smells spicy, almost peppery, when cut. My former supplier Dave at Spacht Sawmill always had a note on the sassafras stacks in his mill: “looks like chestnut.” Yeah, sort of. It’s fairly inexpensive and lightweight, historically used for cabinetry and even in traditional medicine. A bit soft for heavy-use furniture like tabletops — unless you like scratches and dents. But then again, wood gets marked up no matter what, so it’s all relative.

Black Walnut
Juglans nigra, the classic American hardwood. Dark heartwood, rich grain, works like a dream. Everyone loves it, and with good reason. YouTube woodworkers use it for everything these days. George Nakashima built his career on it. I use it a lot, too — though somehow, it’s not at the very top of my list.

American Chestnut
Well, it would be at the top of my list but since it’s extinct (well, not quite, actually. More of this in another post on the blog), that’s not feasible. In fact, I’ve never actually built anything out of American chestnut. Yet. You see, I came into a stash of 20 board feet of American chestnut a couple of years ago. This was not reclaimed from old barns or otherwise. New, fresh cut American chestnut. Impossible, you say. Apparently not. It’s still in the basement waiting for a use. It’s not the best grade — rustic, I think it was labeled. Came across it one day perusing one of my out-of-state suppliers. If memory serves, the story on it was the board stock came from a few trees somewhere (maybe Michigan) that were blight-resistant, fairly large, and pretty much at the end of their lifespan. One 20 board foot pile per customer limit. So, I pounced. And it sits and waits for the right project.

But maybe someday, if the American Chestnut Foundation and others are successful, they’ll be able to bring it back in a blight-resistant form and let it reclaim its spot as king of trees in the Northeast forests. I won’t be alive to see it. Nor my daughter. But maybe her kids and grandkids will — if we can figure out how not to kill off our own species on this planet first.

Ash

Like ash too. It works pretty well but has those big open pores to deal with when it comes to finishing. Easily overcome though. Unfortunately, at some point, it won’t be as readily available as it still is by and large due to the emerald ash borer. Don’t quote me on this because I didn’t look it up for this post,  but I think the species is considered functionally extinct –  meaning there aren’t enough left for continued self-propagation/survival. Sad, really. 

One Last Thing…If you see something interesting in some boards or a slab, and you really like it but don’t have an immediate use for it, get it anyway. You’ll never see the same thing again. Just do it. Don’t think about it. Get it. Stop thinking about it. Buy the damn lumber already before someone else does.