Every wood on our rack.
Wood is the original plastic. We work a wide range of exotic and domestic hardwoods — purple heart, yellow heart, wenge, ebony, mahogany, teak and dozens more — chosen board by board for color, grain and how it will move over a lifetime. Here is what lives in the Atlanta shop, and what we build with it.
Color that comes out of the tree, not a can.
Nothing here is stained. Every purple, red and gold you see is the wood itself, brought up with oil and wax.
Purple Heart
Central & South America
Cuts brown and turns deep violet in the light. Dense, heavy and unmistakable once it is oiled.
We use it for Accent stripes, chess squares, inlay lines
Yellow Heart
Brazil
A clean, saturated golden yellow that holds its color. The brightest note we can hit without paint.
We use it for Checkerboards, coaster sets, contrast splines
Wenge
West Africa
Near black with fine chocolate stripes. Coarse, architectural and perfect for a mid-century silhouette.
We use it for Trays, boxes, table edges
Ebony
Gabon, West Africa
The densest wood on our rack. True black, polishes like stone and feels like sculpture in the hand.
We use it for Pulls, corners, turned details, chess pieces
Zebrawood
West Africa
Bold light and dark striping. Every board reads differently, so no two pieces ever match.
We use it for Serving boards, tray fields, box lids
Mahogany
Central America
Warm reddish brown, stable and forgiving. The classic mid-century case wood for a reason.
We use it for Keepsake boxes, storage boxes, nightstand trays
Teak
Southeast Asia
Golden honey grain with natural oil in the fiber. Ages into a soft patina instead of wearing out.
We use it for Ottoman trays, coasters, cutting boards
Padauk
Central Africa
Comes off the saw a vivid orange-red and settles into a deep rust. Loud on purpose.
We use it for Checkerboard squares, accent frames
Bubinga
Equatorial Africa
Rich red-brown with ribbon figure that shifts as you walk past it.
We use it for Chess boards, statement lids
Bloodwood
South America
Deep crimson with a tight, glassy grain. Hard on blades, worth every pass.
We use it for Inlay, pinstripes, small turned parts
Cocobolo
Central America
Swirling orange, red and near-black figure. Naturally oily, so it finishes to a deep shine.
We use it for Handles, utensil accents, jewelry trays
The backbone woods.
Grown closer to home, milled honestly, and every bit as considered as the imports.
Black Walnut
United States
Chocolate brown with quiet figure. Our workhorse dark wood and the backbone of most builds.
We use it for Trays, boards, boxes, furniture frames
Curly Maple
United States
Pale, blonde and rippling under the finish. The light half of nearly every checkerboard we glue up.
We use it for Checkerboards, cutting boards, contrast fields
Cherry
United States
Starts amber and darkens with sunlight. The wood that keeps improving after it leaves the shop.
We use it for Boxes, trays, small case pieces
White Oak
United States
Quartersawn for ray fleck. Tough, water-resistant and honest.
We use it for Storage boxes, structural parts
Aromatic Cedar
United States
The smell of a chest lid opening. Reddish, knotty and naturally protective of what it holds.
We use it for Cigar boxes, chest linings, keepsake interiors
Do not see the wood you want?
Our rack changes with what our suppliers can source responsibly. Canarywood, sapele, purple sapwood, katalox, leopardwood, osage orange and others come through the shop in small lots. If you have a species in mind, ask — we will tell you honestly whether we can get it and how it will behave in your piece.