Specialty Wood Products in PA

At Horizon Wood Products, we know that the best wood projects start with the best logs. We take great care to deliver products that will exceed every expectation. That’s why, prior to manufacturing our wide variety of wood products, we closely inspect and analyze each log to determine the product for which it is best suited. Our selection of specialty wood products in Pennsylvania features the best of those logs—the ones that stand out due to their exceptional figure, grain, and other qualities.  

Each tree is unique and offers wood with a variety of characteristics.  Much of what passes under Horizon’s watchful eye are high grade logs offering straight clear grain, however we are also always on the hunt for the finest rarities found in our natural resource.  Trees can produce extraordinary figured grain, unique textures, burls, color patterns, and extra-large sizes.  Some of these features are well known and recognized by names like curl, fiddleback, and birdseye, while others are true oddities and are highlighted in our specialty inventory because they are just so cool! 

Some of Our Specialty Options Include: 

• Figured woods — No one knows exactly why mother nature takes a twist in creating the typical grain of the wood, but in cases of figure, the grain becomes compressed in areas creating distortions described as flame, swirl, ripple etc.  These selections are sometimes wild and eye catching.  
• Curly, curled, figured, curly figure, etc these are terms which cover a pretty large spectrum of interesting grain patterns.  We like to think of curl generally along these lines:  it usually presents itself as waves traveling along the length of the board, think of them as trying to reach the beach at the end of the board.  The width of each wave varies from log to log and species to species.  For example, Cherry can get waves that are from 3” to 1” wide, while in hard maple you can find figure that is super tight – waves a quarter inch wide!   

The waves do not always go directly from edge to edge in the board.  The waves can have a slope from one side to the other, form an arrow or chevron pattern across the board, or can run longitudinal in the board making a long ribbon pattern. 

• Fiddleback – is a traditional term that is used to describe figure that has tight waves – typically in hard or soft maple.  Smaller woodworking projects need figure that is very compact to fit the form… if you built a fiddle or violin with curly wood that has 3” wide waves the wood would not be very impressive.  But if you used “fiddleback” maple with super tight waves that instrument would really pop! 
• Quilted – Just like waves in the ocean, the figure in logs can get choppy too.  Those waves that run from edge to edge in a board do not always appear as solid uniform lines, they can be broken up and staggered.  “The sea was angry that day my friends.”  When the figure boils like this it gets named as “quilted.”  This pattern is typically found in big leaf maple, but can be displayed to a lesser extent in many other species as well.    
• Other types of figured  
• Birdseye – Known for its distinct figure that resembles tiny bird eyes.  One theory is that this type of wood is formed when the tree starts new buds. When new buds fail to become branches, tiny knots remain within the wood, creating this unique pattern.  This style of figure is famously found in Hard Maple, but is rarely found in Cherry, Walnut and a few other species. 

• Crotch Patterned – Formed by the union of a tree trunk and a branch, or of two branches that fork in separate directions, this beautiful pattern is sometimes referred to as a feather or plume figure.  This figure requires extra care in woodworking because of its complex grain structure.  It can be often found used in period-style furniture as drawer fronts, clock fronts, or drop-top desk lids, but it can works well in contemporary kitchen cabinets as well. 
• Extra Thick/Wide – These wood products have an exceptional width or thickness, making them perfect for special projects.  These large format slabs are often used for single piece, or bookmatched, table tops, bar tops, or headboards.  These pieces highlight all of the natural beauty of a flitch and often incorporate some character such as knots, splits, or bark inclusions. 

If you don’t find exactly what you are looking for, don’t worry—this is only a portion of the specialty wood in Pennsylvania that we have to offer. Contact us at your earliest convenience to learn more about our unbeatable selection.