Knotty alder wood is used to describe alder boards that have numerous visible knots. Not all alder wood boards have knots, but this is a selection favorite of carpenters trying to create a rustic aesthetic. Alder wood is a popular choice for kitchen cabinets because it is strong and affordable, but making the choice to use knotty alder can be used to complete a farmhouse or ranch style. If it is not a customer’s intention to create one of those types of styles, then knotty alder should be avoided. Always figure at least 15% waste factor when using a knotty wood of any type as all boards will not be completely usable.

Also known as Select Alder or Clear Alder, Superior Alder is a high-grade hardwood that a produces a clearer stock than its close relative Knotty Alder. Alder, part of the birch family, is a softer hardwood from the Pacific Northwest. Consistent color, stability, and uniform acceptance of stains and finishes are some of the characteristics that have made Western Alder a preferred wood for furniture. Its elasticity makes it ideal for carving intricate details. Ranking second only to oak as the most commonly used wood, alder offers the look of many fine hardwoods at a value price.

The heartwood of cherry varies from rich red to reddish brown and will
darken with age and on exposure to light. In contrast, the sapwood is
creamy white. The wood has a straight-grain, a fine, uniform, satiny and
smooth texture, and naturally may contain brown pith flecks and small
gum pockets.

The sapwood is creamy white, while the heartwood is light brown to dark
chocolate brown, occasionally with a purplish cast and darker streaks.
It is usually supplied steamed, to darken the sapwood. The wood is
generally straight-grained; sometimes with wavy or curly grain that
produces an attractive and decorative figure.

Hard Maple wood is incredibly strong, looks great, and stains nicely. Woodworkers and furniture aficionados gravitate towards maple for its light, creamy color, smooth grain pattern, and impressive durability. We source North American Hard Maple from north eastern USA and Canada.

Birch has a white sapwood and light reddish brown heartwood. The wood is
generally straight-grained with a fine, uniform texture, and is
generally characterized by a plain, often curly or wavy pattern.

The sapwood is light-colored to nearly white and the heartwood varies
from grayish or light brown, to pale yellow streaked with brown. The
wood is generally straight-grained with a coarse uniform texture. The
degree and availability of light-colored sapwood, and other properties,
will vary according to the growing regions.

The sapwood is light-colored and the heartwood is light-to-dark brown.
White oak is mostly straight-grained with a medium-to-coarse texture.
Having longer rays than red oak, white oak has more figure.

The sapwood of red oak is white to light brown and the heartwood is a
pinkish-reddish brown. The wood is similar in general appearance to
white oak, but with a slightly less-pronounced figure due to the smaller
rays. The wood is mostly straight-grained, with a coarse texture.

The hickories are an important group within the eastern hardwood
forests. Botanically they are split into two groups: the true hickories
and the pecan hickories (fruit-bearing). The wood is virtually the same
for both and is usually sold together. The sapwood of hickory is white,
tinged with brown, while the heartwood is pale to reddish brown.