The Vermont Wood Species Desk

A reference desk, not a promise

Use the table to narrow a decision, then inspect the blank in front of you. Hardness is comparative, while grain direction, moisture, figure, pith and defects decide the first cut. A species that feels calm in a dry spindle may behave differently in a thick green bowl. The records therefore keep workshop observations beside reference values and name the limits of both.

For a first project, match the material to the form and the room. Basswood or beech can make a useful practice surface; cherry and maple can support quiet utility bowls; walnut and oak bring stronger visual structure with their own sanding and finishing questions. None is automatically safe or easy. Secure the work, use face protection, sharpen before forcing the edge and stop when the blank moves, checks or reveals a weakness.

The practical example is deliberately modest: compare two sound blanks, record species, dimensions and moisture, make the same small test cut and photograph the surface under raking light. That evidence will be more useful than a generic ranking. Follow the methodology for source boundaries, then open an individual record for drying, checking, uses and finish considerations.