Is Maple softer than Oak?
Yes, while both Brown Maple and Red Oak are considered hardwoods, they have different ratings on the Janka scale. Red Oak has a hardness of 1290. Maple and Cherry are at 950 while White Oak has a rating of 1360. Hickory is the hardest wood species we offer with a hardness of 1820.

What is the finish on your furniture?

Wood Types Explained

When you order a piece of furniture to your specification, you get to choose your wood species. Many will choose a standard oak or maple, but there a some other great options as well. There are a few major differences between them that help you to choose your wood species.

Quick Links

The 3 Big Differences Between Wood Types

How it Looks

One of the first and most obvious variables is the look of the wood. The most obvious difference is the different grain patterns. A good example would be comparing Oak to either Brown Maple or Cherry. Oak is a very classic wood type that has a very distinct wide grain pattern. Both Maple and Cherry have a softer, smoother grain pattern.

Additionally, the different wood species take stains a little differently, so some of the nuances of the tones in the stains will come out a little differently in different types of wood. Be sure to look at the stain colors in the species of wood you are choosing.

Picture of various samples of different woods

Major Differences Between Wood Types

(maybe center this section because i wouldnt have a good picture that i can think of)

Hardness

While all of our standard wood types are hardwoods, some of them are harder than others. The janka hardness scale helps us to compare the hardness of each of the wood types

Cost

Of course the different woods come at different costs affected by the supply and demand of the market. This also depends on the builder, but all of our builders follow very similar patterns with their pricing.

While solid hardwood furniture is not cheap, oak and brown maple are typically the least expensive and are the most common wood types to be used in furniture. However, the more expensive wood types all have their own unique characteristics that make them desirable.

miscellaneous furniture pic here. If i center the column above, flip these columns

Other Wood Variations

Other wood variations

Rustic

Additionally, we also have rustic wood types available. This is when the builder uses some pieces that may have some more cosmetic imperfections, most commonly knots. These imperfections do not affect the structural integrity of the piece, but help to bring the cost down. This is a great way to get a more desirable wood, such as hickory, at a price that is often lower than a clear cut of the same wood. It is important to note that when ordering rustic furniture, each piece will be even more unique,

It is important to note that when ordering rustic furniture, each piece will be even more unique, because of the knots. If a knot either creates a hole that goes all the way through the piece, or the knot is on a table-top, the builder will often fill in these knots with a black epoxy. This will vary from builder to builder.

Rough Sawn

Occasionally, you will see a piece that is Rough Sawn. This style of furniture is becoming more and more popular. It is fairly self explanatory, as the furniture is built with rough sawn planks, rather than being fully smoothed and planed down, as is standard with normal furniture. This gives a very rustic, almost reclaimed look, especially when paired with certain stains. Each piece will be unique with variations in the saw marks and other parts of the piece.

These answers came from the old FAQ page, so blend them with my own answer to get them figured out right. Maybe make these like the section above with multiple columns. Could potentially have 2 in each row rather than using pictures

What does “Rustic” mean?

We offer Rustic Cherry, Rustic QSWO, Rustic Hickory, etc. among our wood species options. Rustic wood will keep the natural knots instead of cutting them out. Knots may then be filled with a black epoxy if they go through the depth of the wood or left unfilled. (Often times the rough-sawn pieces will also be rustic.) The knots will not change structural soundness of the furniture. Any piece of Rustic wood will vary and there is no guarantee as to how many knots will be on the finished product.

What is a Live Edge?

The Live Edge is the natural edge of the log. While the bark is may be removed, the edge is not planed smooth. A table top or other piece with a live edge will be one of a kind.

Live Edge

Individual wood types explained

lasdfjaskodfjihdfihasodufhasfhadfuh

Individual Wood Types

Lets now talk about each of the individual wood types. We will start with the least expensive woods and work our way towards the higher cost woods.

(As a general rule, these pricing patterns should be accurate, but this will vary from builder to builder)

Oak

Oak is easily one of the most popular wood types for furniture. This is because of its low cost, classic look, and good durability.

Janka Hardness Rating: XXX

Price:

Maple

Cherry (and variations)

Hickory

QSWO

Hard Maple

Elm

Walnut

What is Quartersawn White Oak (QSWO)?

When a log is “Quarter-sawn,” it is cut at an 45-degree angle instead of 90-degrees. This makes the grain more unique and takes away the “traditional” oak look with the large and small grain variation. This cutting process is an old tradition and gives your solid oak furniture an “antique” look.