The most popular wood species are Alder, Maple, White Oak, and Walnut.
ALDER
Alder ranges from pinkish-brown to an almost white color, with no visible distinction between the heartwood and sapwood. While its grain is generally straight with moderately fine, uniform texture, the wood of Red Alder is prone to character-building defects like pin knots and open knots.
MAPLE
Considered by many to be the chameleon of wood veneer, Hard Maple is typically a bright, creamy white color, which allows it to be dyed or stained to achieve any desired look. While it can be wavy, Hard Maple’s subtle, elegant grain is generally straight, allowing it blend into almost any environment, naturally and seamlessly.
WHITE OAK
A clean, elegant wood, it’s a greyish-brown tan color. And while the sapwood is paler, it’s not always clearly demarcated. White Oak’s grain is straight, with a coarse uneven texture. And when quarter cut, it displays prominent ray fleck patterns.
WALNUT
Walnut’s dark, sultry color earns the species its #1 ranking on most popularity lists. While its light, creamy-white sapwood seems to bely its name, the light-brown heartwood of Black Walnut darkens with age to its legendary, dark chocolate brown color, often with hints of purple, green, and grey. Capable of a wavy, curvy, or fiddleback figure, Black Walnut is famous for its beautiful, iconic cathedral pattern revealed by a plain slice cut.