Ash. The characteristics of ash are pleasant contrasting color when stained, distinct straight grain with open pores, toughness, heavy weight, hardness, and good shock resistance. Ash is often used in constructing bentwood chairs.
Beech. The characteristics of beech are hardness, greater strength, good shock resistance, and conspicuous wood rays with tiny and virtually invisible wood pores. Beech is used for curved parts of furniture and in Scandinavian type furniture.
Birch. The characteristics of birch are hardness, weight, greater strength, beautiful natural finish, small wood pores, and good shock resistance. Birch is used for structural and exposed parts of furniture and veneers. It is also used as a substitute for mahogany and walnut.
Cherry. The characteristics of cherry are moderate hardness, greater strength, durability, good shock and wear resistance, rich color, and straight grain with small individual pores. Cherry is often used as a veneer and for Provincial and Early American Furniture.
Mahogany. The characteristics of mahogany are even texture, medium hardness, greater strength, heavy weight, easy to carve, beautiful finish, and predominate grain pattern with open wood pores. Mahogany is used for veneers and carved wood pieces. It is also an inexpensive wood that can be stained to look like more expensive woods.
Maple. The characteristics of maple are heavy weight, hardness, greater strength, good shock resistance, and straight grain with tiny wood pores. Maple is often used in bench tops. The grain of maple is not very beautiful, unless it is bird's eye maple.
Oak. The characteristics of oak are heavy weight, hardness, greater strength, durability, carvability, wearability, and striking grain pattern when stained. Oak is often used for paneling, veneers, and solid wood furniture.
Pecan. The characteristics of pecan are its greater weight, closed wood pores, contrasting grain color when stained, hardness, and strength. Pecan is used for furniture and wall paneling.
Poplar. The characteristics of poplar are its closed wood pores, even staining, durability, and greater strength. Poplar is often used inside of upholstered and wood furniture.
Walnut. The characteristics of walnut are hardness, greater strength, great stability, expensive, heaviness, durability, carvability, and good shock resistance. Walnut is used for veneers, paneling, and solid furniture.
Cedar. Cedar is knotty, highly aromatic, moderately hard, brittle, resistant to decay, light weight, holds paint, and (red cedar) repellent to moths. Cedar is used for unfinished and outdoor furniture. Red cedar is used for lining drawers and chests.
Pine. Pine is soft, light weight, easy to work, less strength, and holds paint and varnishes well. Western pine is a little harder than the other varieties of pine. Pine is used for cabinets, unfinished furniture, outdoor furniture, and some high-quality furniture.
Redwood. Redwood is light weight, moderately hard, stable, very strong, and resistant to decay, rot, and weather. Redwood is used for outdoor furniture and unfinished furniture.
