Special Woods-

The natural beauty of hardwood grain structures is emphasized in our specialty woods inventory. Selection of this material during the sawing process, and special handling to dry it properly, is required to take advantage of these unique pieces. Some are single planks or blocks. Others will be sets from the same tree. A wide variety of woods and an ever changing inventory make this some of our most interesting stock. Pricing is based on the rarity of the wood and the amount of distinctive pattern present. Prices will vary from $4 to 12 per board foot. 

THE FOLLOWING ITEMS HAVE BINS ASSIGNED IN OUR STORES AND ARE NORMALLY STOCKED.

• Birdseye wood. A "Birdseye" is a figure resembling an eye with pupil that occurs in lumber. It is most common in Hard Maple but is occasionally found in Soft Maple, Ash, Cherry and Beech. 
• Curly grains. Curly figures are caused by wavy wood grain which is at an angle to the main grain pattern. It is most common in Hard Maple but can be found in most other hardwoods. Variations of these figures are known as Tiger, Fiddleback, Blistered and Quilted.
• Quarter and Rift sawn wood. Quartered and rift are methods of sawing lumber which allow a more stable board because the cross grain is uniform at all points in the board (see Definitions page for more detail). It is most practical with large logs in order to obtain boards of a usable width. It is frequently used to saw Red and White Oak because of the pronounced feather pattern which results as the medullary rays are sliced through.
• Spalted wood. Spalting is the result of a fungal growth which causes a unique black line pattern in the board faces as well as other discoloration. It also causes weakening due to the rotting of the board itself. The trick here is to catch it when the pattern is most pronounced and before the board   starts to decay completely.

THE AVAILABILITY OF THE FOLLOWING ITEMS IS NOT PREDICTABLE AND YOU MAY WANT TO CALL AHEAD TO CHECK ON OUR STOCK.  

• Bark Pocketed wood. This refers to lumber where small pieces of bark have been enclosed in the wood as it grows. This may be due to injury or broken branches or buds and will result in an interesting surface pattern.
• Bernie's Beauties. At each of our store locations a bin is present and labeled in tribute to Bernie Roberts about whom it has been said "he never met a board he didn't like".  Bernie was instrumental in the initial setup of our north store and although now retired, still stops in to see us now and then. He initially started the tradition of a bin full of boards that had unique color, figure, texture, etc. which he particularly admired, and we have continued this.
• Book matched sets. "Book matching" refers to a method of sawing rather than a particular species or figure. It is used most often with wide slabs or crotches where a cut is made so that the two faces complement each other when they are displayed side by side as in a table top or counter.
• Burls. These are irregular growths which occur on most species of tree and are caused by damage or insects. It appears as a bulge as the tree attempts to cover and heal it. The grain inside the burl is beautifully figured and can be used for a great variety of projects. Some burls are sawed into boards, wile others are cut into blocks for turning.
• Crotch cuts. Cuts of this type are made where large branches or multiple trunks of a tree intersect. Intricate figure and patterns result which are desirable for tables and counter tops.
• Wormy wood. This is wood which has interesting patterns due to the movement of insects inside the logs. After sawing into boards, this material is kiln dried, which kills the insects. It is ready to use on your woodworking projects.