"THE LOOK OF PROCESSED WOOD"
There are numerous characteristics that go into creating the look of wood, both as it grows in, and then as it is cut from, a tree.
Listed below are the major types of LOOK that result from various combinations of these characteristics.
Each image is clickable and takes you to a more extensive definition.
cuts (the way wood is processed)
flat cut --- cut parallel to the trunk and away from the pith
quartersawn --- the pith of the log is in the plane of the cut
rift cut --- part way between flat cut and quartersawn (mostly used on oaks)
rotary cut --- swirly figure in veneer (NOT planks) caused by rotary cutting
(a rotating cut around the circumference of a log)
cathedral grain --- flat cut in a way that creates an arched pattern (also called crown cut)
crotch --- the area where two trunks or a trunk and branch join
stains (various types)
blue stain --- fungus in sapwood
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brown stain --- two types, one fungal, one due to kiln drying
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chemical stain --- due to concentration and modification of extractives
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gray stain --- an oxidization process
mineral stain --- minerals from the soil carried up in the sap
metal stain --- due to moisture plus contact with ferrous metal
white rot --- a particular form of fungal attack that leaves a white stain
water stain --- due to water
GRAIN (various types)
interlocked grain --- grain changes directions over growing seasons
irregular grain --- grain varies significantly from the normal straight grain
straight grain --- simple straight grain up and down the tree
wavy grain --- wood fibers run in a wavy pattern
wood tissue structure characteristics
extensive illustrated discussions in wood anatomy
growth rings --- the annual growth rings with earlywood / latewood
growth ring porosity (ring porous, semi ring porous, diffuse porous)
growth ring pore distribution (radial strands, dendritic groups, wavy bands, etc)
various types of parenchyma
rays --- strips of cells that radiate horizontally inside the trunk of a tree
tyloses ---- crystal-looking tissue that fills up the pores in some woods (white oak, black locust, butternut, etc.)
heartwood/sapwood demarcation --- sharpness of the line (or area) between the two
ranges from very sharp to very vague
FIGURE (various types)
ambrosia --- heavy streaking caused by the ambrosia fungus, as introduced into the wood by various species of beetle
angel step --- staircase figure that occurs in some cuts of tree stumps
bear claw / bear scratch --- looks like the wood was scratched by a bear (mostly occurs in maple and sitka spruce)
bird's eye --- lots of little "eye" spots
blister --- lots of little "blisters"
burl --- usually wild and swirly and/or with lots of eyes and localized clumping of cell groups
cat's paw --- a type of cluster burl, rather obviously named
clear --- having no knots or flaws
cluster burl --- an isolated grouping of burl figure
curly --- looks like rumpled cloth
NOTE: with some woods, maple in particular, the term "tiger" means the same thing
feather crotch --- a particular form of crotch figure (also called flame crotch)
fiddleback --- an intense cross-grain curl
flaky --- shows heavy ray flakes
flame --- has three unrelated meanings, depending on the wood
(1) box elder "flame" means it has the red streaks
(2) birch, maple, and some other, "flame" is synonymous with "curly"
(3) walnut, mahogany, and some others, "flame" is used to describe certain patterns in crotches
graft line --- occurs in grafted trees
knotty --- contains multiple knots
masur --- a particular, odd, grain type that occurs in birch
mottle
(there are various forms of mottle, including several which are illustrated below)
basket weave --- a type of block mottle that looks like the side of a basket
bee's wing --- looks like tight razor mottle that has been broken up (literally, looks like a bee's wing)
block mottle --- mottled with a fairly regular arrangement
mottled --- mottled with a somewhat irregular arrangement (also called broken mottle)
razor mottle --- fairly long, regular, very sharp mottles
end mottle
FIGURE (continued)
peanut shell --- looks like peanut shells
pecky --- elongated cavities cause by fungal attack and decay
pippy --- looks like the wood has the measles
pomelle --- like a puddle being hit by raindrops
quilted --- looks like lots of air bubbles in water under glass
roey --- same as striped (roey literally means "having rows") but not ribbon striped
ribbon stripe --- looks like parallel ribbons running lengthwise (with the grain)
sausage quilt --- quilted with somewhat elongated, parallel, "quilts" that look like tube sausage
spalted --- figure caused by spalting (a fungal attack in dead sapwood)
special --- a term applied to a particular form of figure in etimoe
swirl --- swirly figure caused by near-crotch, rotary cutting, etc.
tiger --- a term that is sometimes used with some woods, maple in particuar, as synonymous with curly
waterfall --- vague term, mostly used with two different kinds of bubinga, one quilted and the other rotary cut
wild --- vague term for extreme figure
wormy --- figure dominated by worm etchings or worm holes