Identifying Wood

Whether you’re a professional wood crafter or a DIY type of person, chances are you’ve come across a piece of wood that you couldn’t quite identify.

What Characteristics Should You Consider When Trying to Identify Wood?

Ensure That You’re Dealing With Real Wood

There are engineered woods out there that can be pretty convincing to even the most experienced crafter

Check the Color

Figuring out how to identify wood that has been stained can often be resolved with a simple scratch test but this is not always accurate.

Check the Grain

It might not provide you with the exact genius of the wood, but it will tell you what type of wood you’re dealing with.

Check for Unique Characteristics

There are certain tree species and subspecies that have characteristics unique to their genus.

Check the Weight

This is one of the best ways to determine, at the very least, whether it’s a hard or softwood species.

Consider Regional Origin

Purchasing a piece of furniture from a small store that uses locally sourced lumber, dramatically decreases the possibilities of the wood species.

Focus on the Specifics

Using some specialized equipment, so we wouldn’t recommend going down this path unless you have the money to spend.

Ask Around!

If you’ve managed to get a decent magnified picture of your different wood grains then why not try reaching out to professionals?