Table Top Makers crafts products from fine hardwoods, but what wood do we use?  Here’s a rundown of what woods we offer for our products.

Table Top Makers uses domestic hardwoods for our furniture and accessory products.  These woods include ash, red oak, hard maple, cherry, and walnut.  In addition to these domestic woods, we use several exotic kinds of wood, including wenge, padauk, purpleheart, and bloodwood.

But, we understand that some people may not know the differences between cherry, ash, and wenge–or even how to pronounce wenge.  So here’s some information and details on each of the woods TTM uses in our furniture and accessories. 

Domestic Woods:

Ash

Ash, also known as white ash, hails from Eastern North America. The heartwood has a light to medium brown coloration, and the sapwood has a more creamy beige or light brown.  Ash is a strong, durable, lightweight wood that tends to be straight-grained and even textured.  A table made of ash can provide softness to a room while also promising solidity and longevity.

Red Oak

Red oak comes from the Northeastern United States and Southeastern Canada. Its heartwood is a light to medium brown, commonly with a reddish cast, and its sapwood tends to be paler.  Red oak has a straight grain and is strong and easy to work with.  It’s considered a handsome and popular hardwood that can be found in most homes.  Furniture and accessories made of red oak will fit right in and look beautiful, giving your space a sense of belonging.  

Hard Maple

Hard maple, known as rock maple or sugar maple, can be found in Northeastern North America.  Unlike most other hardwoods, the sapwood of hard maple lumber is most commonly used rather than its heartwood. The sapwood color ranges from nearly white to an off-white cream color, sometimes with a reddish or golden hue, and the heartwood tends to be a darker reddish-brown.  It has a fine, even texture and a straight, but sometimes wavy, grain.  It’s moderately difficult to work with due to its density.   Hard maple furniture would be a fine addition to any room in the house and provide your friends and family with a fantastic gaming experience.  

Cherry

Cherry, or black cherry, is typically found in Eastern North America.  Its heartwood is a light pinkish-brown when freshly cut, darkening to a medium reddish-brown with time and upon exposure to light.  Its sapwood is a pale yellowish color and tends to have a straight grain.  Cherry wood is widely popular and has excellent workability.  Pieces made from cherry will be an elegant addition to any room in your home.

Walnut

Black walnut, to be specific, comes from the Eastern United States.  Its heartwood ranges from lighter pale brown to a dark chocolate brown with darker brown streaks.  Its sapwood is pale yellow-gray to nearly white.  The grain is usually straight,  but it can be irregular, and is relatively easy to work with.  Walnut is a gorgeous hardwood that will make any piece of furniture or accessory stand out.  You’ll probably get people asking what it’s made of.

Exotic Woods:

Wenge

Wenge (pronounced WEN-gay) is native to Central Africa.  Its heartwood is medium brown, sometimes with a reddish or yellowish hue, with nearly black streaks.  The wood can become almost black after applying a wood finish (particularly an oil finish). However, unlike most other dark hardwoods, the heartwood of wenge can lighten–rather than darken–when exposed to sunlight.  It has a straight grain.  Wenge can be difficult to work due to the different densities between the light and dark areas.  This unique wood would be a talking point for any gaming table or accessory and add a unique aesthetic to the room.  

Padauk

Padauk, also called African padauk or vermillion, grows in Central and tropical West Africa.  Its heartwood color can vary, ranging from a pale pinkish-orange to a deep brownish-red. Most pieces tend to start reddish-orange when freshly cut, darkening substantially over time to a reddish/purplish brown.  Its grain is often straight but can be interlocked, and it’s relatively easy to work.  Padauk is a beautiful wood that can add style and flair to your home.  

Purpleheart

Purpleheart comes from Central and South America.  When freshly cut, the heartwood of purpleheart can be a  dull grayish/purplish brown.  However, the wood becomes a deeper eggplant purple within a few days.  With further aging and exposure to UV light, the wood becomes a dark brown with a hint of purple.  It can have a straight, wavy, or irregular grain and can be a challenging wood to work with.  Many people who want their furniture to pop with beauty and grace desire purpleheart's exotic color.  

Bloodwood

Bloodwood grows in tropical South America.  Its heartwood is a bright, vivid red. The color can darken to a darker brownish-red over time with exposure to light.  Its sapwood is a pale yellowish color seldom seen in the lumber.  The grain is straight or slightly interlocked.  The wood’s density can make it challenging to work with.  Bloodwood’s vibrant red color in your furniture will make you want to scream, “Blood for the Blood God!” on gaming nights.

Some of the information about these hardwoods was obtained from the Wood Database.  Feel free to look up these hardwoods to get more information about the materials TTM uses.  

There you have it, a small taste of the woods Table Top Makers offers for their products.  This delightful array of domestic and exotic woods can be used in gaming tables and accessories to make your space stand out and provide a wonderful playing experience.  

What wood do you like best?  Let us know in the comment section below.