Wood Species

Acacia hardwood is a dense, durable material prized for its dramatic grain patterns, rich colors, and high scratch resistance. It ranks between 1,700 and 2,200 on the Janka hardness scale, making it significantly harder than traditional red oak. Acacia features striking color variations from light yellows and warm ambers to deep dark browns and reddish hues. It also grows rapidly (over 3 feet per year), making it an eco-friendly and fast-replenishing alternative to slow-growth hardwoods.

 Cherry is a premium American hardwood known for its smooth grain and signature color that deepens from a rosy pink to a rich, lustrous reddish-brown over time. Freshly cut boards have a light pink or golden tone, but exposure to UV light and oxygen causes it to naturally oxidize and darken into a deep reddish-brown patina. Cherry features a fine, uniform, and mostly straight grain with a smooth texture, occasionally containing narrow brown pith flecks or small gum pockets. It ranks around 950 lbf on the Janka hardness scale, making it softer than hard maple or oak and making it highly workable.

 Mahogany is a durable, reddish-brown tropical hardwood prized for its rich color, stability, and ease of woodworking. It’s a dimensionally stable wood which makes it resistant to shrinkage and warping. We typically use mahogany for different types of furniture.

  Maple is a dense, durable hardwood derived from trees of the genus Acer, widely utilized for high-traffic flooring, cabinetry, furniture, and butcher blocks. Features creamy white sapwood with a subtle, tight, straight grain, though it can display decorative figures like bird's-eye or curly grain. Hard maple (sugar maple) has a Janka rating of 1,450, making it harder than red oak and highly resistant to dents.

  Poplar hardwood is an affordable, versatile, and easy-to-work-with utility wood that is ideal for painted furniture, interior trim, and beginner woodworking projects. Technically a hardwood, though it has a Janka hardness rating of around 540 lbf, making it softer than many softwoods like pine while remaining more rigid and free of knot holes. It features a creamy white to yellow sapwood with heartwood ranging from pale olive green to brown, often featuring striking purple or gray mineral streaks.

  Purpleheart is an exceptionally dense, durable exotic hardwood from Central and South America known for its striking, vibrant purple color. Freshly cut wood appears dull brown or gray, but exposure to air and light quickly transforms it into a brilliant violet-purple. Over time and with UV exposure, it darkens to a deep purplish-brown. It’s highly dense with a Janka hardness rating typically between 1,860 and 2,520 lbf, making it significantly harder than domestic hardwoods like red oak.

  Black walnut is a premier North American hardwood prized for its rich chocolate-brown color, excellent dimensional stability, and a 1010 Janka hardness rating. Because walnut has excellent dimensional stability and tight grain structure, it is a high-end option for kitchen blocks and serving platters. It is frequently paired with lighter woods like hard maple or cherry for striking contrast. It also works well for River Inlays & Serving Trays since it pairs beautifully with epoxy resins for modern opaque or translucent river-style trays, table centers, and decorative wall art.

  Wenge is an extremely dense, durable exotic hardwood from Central Africa known for its striking dark brown to nearly black color and contrasting fine veins of medium to dark brown with fine black veining and finishes to an almost jet-black look. With a Janka hardness around round 1,930 lbf, it’s significantly harder than domestic oaks. Wenge is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List due to over-exploitation, so we use it on a limited, responsible basis.

  Zebrawood is a striking exotic hardwood from West Africa known for its bold, high-contrast golden-yellow background and dark brown-to-black zebra-like stripes. The heartwood is a light cream, tan, or golden-yellow heartwood featuring distinct, wavy dark brown streaks. Quartersawn boards show the most uniform stripe patterns. It has a Janka hardness rating of roughly 1,830 lbf, making it significantly harder than domestic options like red oak or hard maple.