Their are many variations of Hard Maple including: plain, curly & birdseye.
*Known as "Sugar Maple"
*Best known for producing Maple syrup & beautiful fall foilage
*Dense / fine textured wood
Birds Eye Maple is a sugar maple with a unique figure pattern giving the appearance of eyes. A board must be flat sawn to show this figure. Veneers are rotary sliced. Birds eye maple is a very rare mutation of a common hardwood tree. The top figure usually comes from the northern most range of the specie. Old sawyers tell me they find these trees on the north side of dense woodlots, areas that get very little sunlight. If the woodlot is thinned the birds eye development diminishes. This is one of the most exotic of the North American Species.
*Birds eye maple is found on the dash boards of some of the world's finest car
*Excellent for fine furniture
*Often found in cue sticks
*Makes a beautiful floor
Bird's eye figure is a phenomenon that occurs within several kinds of wood, most notably in maple (bird's eye maple). It has a distinctive pattern that resembles tiny, swirling eyes disrupting the smooth lines of grain. It is somewhat reminiscent of a burl, but it is quite different: the small knots that make a burl a burl are missing.
It is not known what causes the phenomenon. Research into the cultivation of bird's eye maple has so far discounted the theories that it is caused by pecking birds deforming the wood grain or that an infecting fungus makes it twist. However, no one has demonstrated a complete understanding of any combination of climate, soil, tree variety, insects, viruses or genetic mutation that may produce the effect.
It is used in refined specialty products. For instance the dashboard of a Rolls Royce may be made with birdseye maple veneer. Since the figure is so decorative, the wood may be expensive, often several times that of ordinary hardwood. Boxes and bowls for jewelry, thin veneer, humidors, canes, furniture inlays, handles, guitars, and pool cues are made from the decorative wood, and it has even been used for hardwood flooring. Items made with this wood are more expensive not only because the wood is more expensive but because it is harder to work. When working with this wood, very sharp tools are needed to prevent grain tearout.
At Sunset Premium Hardwoods
Our experience in the hardwood industry and vast knowledge of
hardwood lumber make us the place to come for "hard to find" wood.
We welcome you to take a look at our site, and contact
us to find out how we can supply your hardwood needs.
Phone 501-888-3218
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