MAPLE
The American species of maple is divided into two groups: hard maple, which includes sugar and black maple; and soft maple, which includes red and silver maple.
Maple's scientific name is derived from the Latin word for hard. Its wood was used for making spears.
Sugar maple is the state tree of Wisconsin, Vermont, New York, and West Virginia; for Rhode Island, it's red maple.
Early American settlers used maple ashes to make soap. Until the turn of the century, the heels of women's shoes were made from maple, as were airplane propellers in the 1920s.
Maple has been a favorite of American furniture makers since early colonial days. Hard maple is the standard wood for cutting boards because it imparts no taste to food and holds up well.
Color: Cream to light reddish brown.
Pattern: Usually straight-grained and sometimes found with highly figured bird's-eye or burl grain. Bird's-eye resembles small circular or elliptical figures. Clusters of round curls are known as burl.
Characteristics: Heavy, hard, strong, tough, stiff, close-grained, and possesses a uniform texture. Maple has excellent resistance to abrasion, indentation, and shock.
Uses: Furniture, cabinets, decorative woodwork, flooring, cutting surfaces, musical instruments, bowling pins, utensils, and bowls. Its characteristics make it ideal for ballroom and gymnasium floors, as well as cutting boards and countertops.
Finishing: Takes stain satisfactorily and polishes well. Maple is suitable for enamel finishes and brown tones.
Relative abundance: 7.7 percent of total U.S. hardwoods commercially available.
Oak
OAK
The oaks -- red and white -- are the most abundant hardwood species found in the United States. The Latin name for oak, Queurcus, means a fine tree. White oak is impervious to liquids, and has been used extensively for ship timbers, barrels, and casks.
It would be difficult to name a wood with a longer and more illustrious history in furnishings and interior design. Oak was a favorite of early English craftsmen and a prized material for American colonists. It's commonly associated with Mission, country, and contemporary styles.
Color: White oak -- light brown with a gray tinge. Red oak -- slightly redder than white oak.
Pattern: Quartersawn -- striking flake pattern that reflects light. Plainsawn -- attractive figure of stripes and leafy grain. Riftsawn -- fine pinstripe pattern.
Characteristics: Heavy, very strong and hard, stiff, durable under exposure, great wear-resistance, and holds nails and screws well.
Uses: Flooring, furniture, cabinets, ships, and decorative woodwork.
Finishing: Oak can be stained with a range of finish tones.
Relative abundance: Red oak -- 3.6 percent of total U.S. hardwoods commercially available. White oak -- 15.1 percent.
Walnut
WALNUT
American black walnut, the aristocrat of cabinet woods, is one of the most respected North American fine hardwoods. Its reputation dates back to the 16th century.
Walnut mixes well with other woods and natural materials to provide a friendly atmosphere in otherwise austere interiors. The wood develops a rich patina that grows more lustrous with age.
Color: Light gray-brown to dark purplish-brown.
Pattern: Plain to highly figured. This species produces a greater variety of figure types than any other.
Characteristics: Moderately heavy, very strong, and exceptionally stable.
Uses: Furniture, cabinets, doors, flooring, architectural woodwork, gunstocks, and novelties.
Finishing: Walnut takes and holds paints and stains exceptionally well, and is readily polished.
Relative abundance: 1.9 percent of total U.S. hardwoods commercially available.
Cherry
CHERRY
Like all fruit trees, cherry belongs to the rose family and was used as early as 400 B.C. by the Greeks and Romans for furniture making.
The cherry tree provided American colonists with fruit, medicine, and wood for home furnishings. The bark was used as a drug to treat bronchitis, and cherry stalks were used to make tonics.
Cherry helped define American traditional design because colonial cabinetmakers recognized its superior woodworking qualities. Today, cherry helps express Shaker, Mission, and country styling.
Color: Light reddish-brown. Cherry darkens considerably with age and exposure to sunlight.
Pattern: Straight-grained and satiny. Small gum pockets produce distinctive markings.
Characteristics: Light, strong, stiff, and rather hard. Cherry grain is more subdued than some other hardwood species.
Uses: Fine furniture, cabinetry, flooring, and decorative woodwork.
Finishing: Cherry is unsurpassed in its finishing qualities -- its uniform texture takes a finish very well.
Relative abundance: 3.9 percent of total U.S. hardwoods that are commercially available.
Pecan
PECAN
Seven species of hickory are considered commercially important -- five are true hickories and two are pecan hickories. The hickories and pecans are members of the walnut families and are related so closely that individual specimens of hickory and pecan can't be identified with any certainty.
Hickory is the hardest, heaviest, and strongest American wood in common use. Its name is an English contraction of its Indian name powcohicora.
Whereas various parts of the world had supported hickory during the countless geologic ages, practically nowhere but in eastern North American did it survive the catastrophic changes of the Glacial Epoch, some 50 million years ago. Thus, it's the first and foremost strictly American tree.
Westward trekking pioneers allegedly made hickory a prerequisite for their wagon wheels.
Color: White to tan to reddish-brown with inconspicuous fine brown lines.
Pattern: Fine grain.
Characteristics: Extremely tough and resilient, even textured, quite hard, and only moderately heavy. Exceedingly high resistance to shock.
Uses: Furniture, paneling, flooring, cabinets, decorative woodwork, bending stock, skis, and tool handles.
Finishing: The grain pattern welcomes a full range of medium-to-dark finishes and bleaching treatments.
Relative abundance: 2.2 percent of total U.S. hardwoods commercially available.
Encore Cabinetry Inc.- 1804 Willow Oak Drive Edgewater, Fl 32132
Phone: 386-428-2535 Fax: 386-428-2531
sales@cabinetprice.com
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