Hardwoods: what are they? Advantages and disadvantages of different types of wood for the production of solid furniture.

In this article we will talk about unique hardwoods that are rarely found in nature and even more rarely found in the form of products. You will learn about the strength and hardness of these rocks and where they are used. The article also contains comparative characteristics properties of wood.

Continuing the topic of exotic woods, we will talk about a material that until recently was unavailable in Russia. The development of trade and transport made it possible to deliver exclusive products and furniture made from wood from the tropics, Africa and Oceania. Over time, these products have gained wide popularity not only as a luxury or exotic item, but also as a practical building material with unique properties.

Hornbeam

The uniqueness of this type of tree is that it is popular not so much as lumber, but in its living form. It is the only one of these that can be found on the open market.

Hornbeam grows in the Northern Hemisphere and is most common in China. Its structure resembles a bush, but it grows very slowly. It is thanks to this combination - bushiness and slow growth - that live hornbeam has become a favorite material for masters of landscape gardening and lovers of green hedges. The green cap of the tree retains its shape for up to 15 days after cutting, and the density of the branches allows you to create opaque living sculptures. Greater love The hornbeam was acquired in Japan, where the art of bonsai is popular—decorative species are specially bred for this purpose.

The mechanical properties of hornbeam wood are impressive to say the least:

1. Density - 750 kg/m3.
2. Cross-section hardness - 83.5 MPa.
3. Brinnell hardness is 3.5 kgf/mm 2.

These figures are an order of magnitude higher than those of the average (reference) oak. However, such properties have their price, and it lies in the disadvantages of hornbeam lumber:

1. High volumetric shrinkage. The material shrinks and cracks when dried.
2. Difficult processing. Due to the peculiarities in the structure of the fibers, hornbeam does not lend itself well to conventional grinding.
3. Dries slowly and is difficult to handle with tools.

The undoubted advantage of such lumber is its beautiful sinuous structure, sometimes different color(dark brown and yellowish). Hornbeam is used to make custom and artistic products - billiard cues, musical instruments, souvenirs and some machine parts.

Boxwood

This evergreen shrub has other names - green tree, shamshit, bux, bukshpan, gevan. This abundance of different names is explained by the antiquity of the breed and the breadth of its growing area - Central Africa (Madagascar), Central America (Cuba, Northern Mexico), Eurasia.

Just like hornbeam, boxwood has a lush, dense crown that grows slowly and keeps its shape perfectly. In its living form, it is used in landscaping and park architecture.

Boxwood has been used since ancient times as medicine in the preparation of decoctions and infusions. Today this is not done due to the high toxicity and toxicity of all parts of the plant. The leaves are especially poisonous.

Mechanical properties of wood:

1. Density from 830 kg/m 3 (dried) to 1300 kg/m 3 (freshly cut).
2. Cross-section hardness - 115.5 MPa.
3. Brinell hardness - 3.9 kg/mm ​​2.

The boxwood trunk does not have a core, so the lumber is widely used in artistic cutting, decorative sculpture and woodcuts. The felling of this tree is strictly controlled throughout the world, because due to its exceptional properties it was so widely used in printing at the beginning of the 19th century that it was almost destroyed completely. The high cost of wood makes the production of joinery products from it unprofitable and irrelevant.

WIKIPEDIA: The habitat of boxwoods in Russia is constantly shrinking due to logging. Particularly large areas of boxwood relict forests were damaged in the fall of 2009 during the construction of the Adler-Krasnaya Polyana Olympic road. Several thousand trunks were uprooted and buried. Colchian boxwood is listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation.

iron tree

Under this name several dozen species of trees are united, which grow mainly in Asian countries, Oceania and Australia. They are distinguished from all other trees by one characteristic - a density of more than 1000 kg/m, i.e. more than the density of water.

Parrotia persica(zheleznyk, demir-agach, ambur) - named after the naturalist Ivan Parrot. Grows in relict forests of Azerbaijan. Beautiful appearance and frost resistance made it popular ornamental plant in Europe. Due to its rarity, the wood has not been classified, but its exceptional strength is known for certain. Local residents have long made axes, floor boards and important carpentry from it. The cost of parrotia is several times higher than for wood with the same properties - relict forests are under the protection of the state and UNESCO.

Quebracho or mahogany- grows in the northern regions of Brazil and Argentina. Its name comes from the combination of the words quiebra-hacha (Spanish), which means “breaking an axe.” Red quebracho is relatively common in Russia, so there is data on its trials:

1. Density - 1200 kg/m3.
2. Cross-section hardness - 81.5 MPa.
3. Brinnell hardness - 3.2 kg/mm ​​2.

In addition to the “eternal” material for furniture, quebracho wood is of great value due to its tannin, which gives it a red tint. An extract is obtained from the bark and wood, which is used to treat asthma, heart and circulatory diseases.

A less common species, white quebracho, has a lower density (850 kg/m3) and is rarely used in Eurasia due to the presence of cheaper local analogues.

Buckout or Guaiac wood — national symbol Jamaica (flower). Grows on the islands Caribbean Sea, in South America and India. Its wood is so dense that it cannot split, and ranges from 1200 to 1450 kg/m3. Backout resin is valuable for medicine—medicines and chemical reagents are made from it.

Exceptional hardness and high natural oil content give the wood durability and good mechanical properties. The backout's track record is the most impressive of all:

1. Elders details sailing ships, which have survived to this day.
2. Details of a grandfather clock with a wooden mechanism.
3. Bearings (!) in steering and propeller mechanisms of diesel submarines and turbines of the Conowingo power plant (!) on the Susquehanna River.
4. Bowling balls, croquet sticks and batons for British police.

The list of applications makes it clear that in some cases, backout can easily replace iron.

It is extremely difficult to purchase materials from the trees described above for two reasons. The first is that most of them grow in the tropics or remote (from Russia) areas of the world. The second is that almost all of them are protected due to their rarity. Therefore, purchasing this valuable material- a separate task that should be planned in the long term.

However, there is a more popular and acceptable solution - using an imitation of a given breed from a more common and cheaper material. For example, a larch parquet board can be finished with a thin layer of querbacho and look like querbacho after installation. This approach brings the desired result, intelligently saving money and natural resources.

Illustration:

The hardness of wood depends mainly on the type of wood. In this article, we will look at different types of wood and find out which wood is harder than others.

The hardness of timber is its ability to resist the penetration of harder bodies, for example, nails and screws.

The hardness of wood varies in different cutting directions. The following types of hardness are distinguished:

• end This type of hardness is determined by pressing a metal rod, which has a hemispherical end with a diameter of 11.28 mm. The rod is pressed to a radius depth of 5.64 mm gradually over 2 minutes. The size of the print is 1 square centimeter and therefore hardness is measured in kg/cm2
• radial
• tangential

The lateral hardness of coniferous varieties of timber is most often 40% lower than the end hardness, and for deciduous varieties it is approximately 30%. The tangential type of hardness, for example, of oak, beech or elm timber is almost 5-10% higher than the end hardness. Most types of wood have approximately the same tangential and radial hardness.

To create a product from wood High Quality It is necessary to determine the hardness of the type of wood used. Most often, the Brinell method is used to determine hardness. The meaning of this method is to press a metal ball with a diameter of 10 mm into the surface of the workpiece with a force of 100 kg. The hardness value is determined by the type of deformation and the diameter of the resulting depression.

Besides experienced craftsmen Be sure to take into account changes in hardness that may occur during work with workpieces. For example, the hardness of timber varies depending on the type of cut.

The hardest wood is from the jatoba tree, which grows in the tropical rainforests of South and Central America. The hardness of the wood of this tree is 7 points on the Brinell scale. The timber is quite light in color, with grayish sapwood. In this case, the core is colored red, red-brown or dark orange. The cut of the trunk becomes darker over the course of 6-7 days, after which it acquires a brick-red color. The tree grows up to 40 meters in height. Furniture, parquet, as well as decorative elements for interior decoration are made from timber.

Sucupira takes second place in the hardness ranking. It has a hardness rating of 5.6. This tree grows exclusively in the Amazon rainforest. A mature tree is about 30 meters high. In the center of the trunk there is red-brown “dull” wood. Towards the edges the wood becomes lighter and whitish. When cut, yellow stripes of parenchymal matter are clearly visible. The texture of such timber is quite unique. Due to the large amount of oily substances found in wood, the products are resistant to attack by wood-boring beetles and microorganisms. Floor boards, parquet boards and furniture are made from such wood. Timber is very difficult to saw, but can be sanded and polished well.

The hardness of Amazonian yarra is almost 6 points; it grows in South America. The wood is dark red or plum colored at the heartwood. The sapwood has a light yellowish or brown tint. The timber of this tree becomes darker when exposed to humidity and air access. Amazonian yarra is difficult to process, but it polishes and bends well. Boats and buildings are made from such material, various items furniture and souvenirs.

In wet areas tropical forests West Africa The turbidity tree grows, reaching 60 m in height. Its hardness level is 5 points. Muthenia timber is brown in color, very similar to walnut, olive with a brownish tint. The unique attractiveness of the wood is given by the “rays” of violet color. This wood is used to make floor boards, furniture and interior decoration elements.

European walnut or walnut grows in southern Europe and Asia Minor. The hardness of this wood is also 5 points. Walnut is an expensive wood and is highly valued by lovers of natural materials. The structure of the fibers is smooth and parallel, sometimes wavy curvatures are observed. Wood is used to make expensive furniture, parquet and veneer, as well as souvenirs. Finished products are infested with wood borer beetles.

Merbau timber has a hardness of 4.9 on the Brinell scale. This tree grows in the humid tropics of Papua and New Guinea, as well as in the forests of southeast Asia. The tree grows up to 30 meters. The timber is quite dense; one cubic meter of such material weighs about 800 kg. The core has a light orange or yellow tint. The sapwood is light yellow in color. The wood becomes darker over time, acquiring a bronze or brown tint, with a silvery tint. The wood has an attractive texture due to the presence of straight and sinuous grains. Merbau is not afraid of humidity, it can be used in bathrooms.

Ash has a hardness rating of about 4. It is very common in Europe and Asia, as well as in America. A mature tree reaches over 35 m in height. Timber from young trunks is uniform, light, slightly grayish. And mature trees have a brown, brown core color. Several species of ash are distinguished by their reddish heartwood. The structure of the wood is similar to oak. The growth rings stand out well; they form a striped pattern. These timbers are used to make boards of various sizes, plywood sheets, furniture, and veneer. Several centuries ago, weapons, hunting tools, and catapults were made from ash.

The hardness of oak reaches 3.8 points. There are about 600 species of this tree. Timber does not rot under the influence of moisture. Wood of white, yellowish shades. The growth rings are well defined. Sapwood has more light color than the core. An oak tree that has lain for a couple of centuries at the bottom of a reservoir does not rot or decompose. On the contrary, it becomes more durable and hard, acquiring a dark brown tint. Oak is a fairly valuable species. Oak barrels and vehicle parts made from this material are very popular.

Of the coniferous timber, the hardest is larch. Its hardness is 2.6 points on the Brinell scale. The wood has a dark red core. The sapwood is a lighter yellowish-red color. The sapwood is separated from the core by a clear boundary. Buildings made from such wood do not rot for hundreds of years. Larch wood has high viscosity, so it is processed slowly. The action of moisture only increases the hardness of wood. Soaked timber can be compared to stone in hardness.

There are a large number of tree species growing in Russia, but when using some of them, their strength must be taken into account.

Acacia

It has the hardest wood of all trees growing in Russia. It has an olive green or yellow color. It lends itself well to processing only in its raw state. But when dry, it is practically not cut with various tools. When dry, it does not warp or crack. It has excellent wear resistance and is practically not exposed to atmospheric influences. Over time, under the influence of UV rays, the color of the structure changes and acquires a very attractive and refined color.
Due to its strong and hard, but elastic wood, it is popularly used for cladding work. This is an excellent material for making finishing veneer.
Acacia wood makes excellent flooring. Their service life is much longer than that of larch or ash parquet. Acacia makes excellent interior doors.

Birch

The most popular finishing material. It has a light, uniform texture. Due to its fine structure, it has dense hard wood. Perfectly amenable to various types of mechanical processing in different conditions. Reacts quickly to temperature fluctuations and high humidity. It starts to warp. Mainly used for making small items. It makes a very attractive veneer. Requires the use of effective wood impregnations.

Oak

It has fairly hard and strong wood, yellow-brown in color with clearly defined growth rings. They use oak wood that is 80-150 years old and grew in black forest. Oak has excellent resistance to water. Under its influence it acquires a perfectly black color. Wood with this color is in great demand for the manufacture of luxury cabinet furniture.

Linden

It has an exquisite white texture with subtle growth rings. Works well with a variety of cutting tools. Linden is impervious to dampness, as a result of which it practically does not warp. But it is easily subject to a wormhole.
Products made from linden practically do not need to be painted, as they have excellent water resistance. Mainly used to produce furniture with white texture and finishing materials, type of lining for a bath.

This is a Siberian version of the common pine. Its wood is soft, has a pinkish-brownish tint and a pleasant smell. Does not warp when exposed to moisture. It is in great demand for making furniture. Larch is one of the most popular species coniferous trees used in the construction and carpentry industry. The wood is highly durable and has a reddish color. It is much more resistant than oak. Larch has excellent tolerance to water and adverse atmospheric factors. This is facilitated by the high content of gum in the structure of its wood. It is processed perfectly, after which you get a smooth, perfectly flat surface.
Thanks to the large amount of gum, larch perfectly resists the formation of colonies of mold, rot, and wood-destroying insects.

Conclusion

Comparing all the species, we come to the conclusion that there is no other species in the Russian Federation that is stronger than oak and Siberian larch wood. This conclusion is confirmed by the fact that the best floor boards in the Russian Federation are made from oak wood and boards from Siberian larch.

Wood contains unlimited possibilities for creating forms designed for relief, silhouette, movement, and spatial composition. When making wood products or wood carvings, it is important to carefully select the type of wood to better convey the character of the craft. Below are properties and characteristics of various types of wood.

CONIFEROUS TREES

Pine. Belongs to soft species, the wood is straight-grained with a yellowish tint, dense and durable, with medium drying properties. It is easy to process, if not very resinous, and glues relatively well, but is poorly finished and painted. Not very suitable for small relief carving. Often used for carved house decorations.
Spruce. The wood is soft, light, shiny, has an exceptionally uniform distribution of fibers, and cracks well. It is lighter than pine, not as resinous and inferior to it in strength. Spruce wood is used to make violins and other stringed instruments because no other tree gives such resonance as spruce.

Larch. Its wood has no equal. It is very heavy, durable, difficult to process, but durable. In Germany, Poland, and other European countries, buildings made of larch logs have been standing for more than 500 years. A valuable quality of larch is that it does not rot from dampness. The buildings of the city on the water were erected on larch stilts back in the Middle Ages and still stand today. Larch is also suitable for parquet - durable, beautiful, naturally reddish, it does not need painting.
Tiss. Heartwood with narrow yellowish-white sapwood, sharply limited by a brownish-red core; the annual layers are sinuous and clearly visible in all sections. The wood is dense, hard, heavy, and almost does not rot. Well processed, painted and polished. This is one of the best materials for carpentry, finishing and turning. Yew wood is amazingly beautiful in color - pink, red, crimson-violet to deep black. Thanks to the color and waviness of the annual layers, it has a beautiful texture in tangential sections. This is one of the hundred tree species, which is called "mahogany". Large burls often form on yew trunks, the wood of which is highly valued as a finishing material and for making small plastics.
Common juniper (shrub). A soundwood without resin passages, having a narrow pinkish-white sapwood and a light yellowish-brown core, often delimited from the sapwood. The annual layers are wavy, noticeable on all sections: early wood gradually turns into late wood. The heart-shaped rays are not visible. The wood is heavy, durable, hard, dries out little, is resistant to rotting, retains a pleasant smell for a long time, can be easily processed with a cutting tool, and can be easily tinted and polished. The cuts are clean and glossy, with a very beautiful texture. Dried juniper - trunk, branches, roots - is an excellent material for carving, turning and carpentry. Such wood is much more beautiful when cut than that of a living tree. It does not need to be specially dried, since it has already been aged for years in the forest. Juniper wood is successfully used for very fine and various artistic products and decorations.
Wood cedar, fir its structure is close to pine wood and is widely used for carving work. The striped texture of coniferous wood looks good on smooth polished surfaces: panels, background boards and panels in the form of an oblique cut, vases, plates, lamps made from boards with, in other products with contour carvings, when the decisive factor in the form is not the relief, but the silhouette.

deciduous trees (ring-vascular)

Oak. The wood is strong, dense, has an expressive texture, dries out moderately, cracks and warps a little, and is practically not susceptible to rotting. Oak kept in water for a long time acquires a black color and becomes very hard. In the past, expensive furniture was made from stained oak wood. Oak can be easily painted and tinted using mordants and finished with mastics. Processing oak wood requires great strength and well-sharpened tools. Oak is widely used for carving, turning, veneering, and mosaic work.
Ash. The wood is characterized by high strength and toughness, low tendency to cracking, and good bending ability. It is easy to process, changes slightly in volume when dried, and is perfectly polished. The wide sapwood has a beautiful light yellow color and a beautiful grain pattern. In combination with a dark brown core it looks very impressive. Ash wood is valued on a par with mahogany. Ash plywood is used to decorate furniture and musical instruments. The growths on ash - burls - are used to make small but valuable crafts.
Elm. Its wood with yellowish-white sapwood and a dark brown core has a beautiful structure, is strong, hard, elastic, bends well, is tough and durable. Used in carpentry work. Burls on elms - burls - are highly valued for turning crafts.
White acacia. Heartwood with very narrow yellowish sapwood, sharply demarcated from the green-gray or yellowish-gray core. The earlywood zone is occupied by a ring of large vessels; small vessels in late wood form groups in the form of dots, dashes or short winding lines. Wood with beautiful texture and color. In terms of physical and mechanical properties, it is significantly superior to oak and ash. Rot resistant.
Mulberry. Wood with very narrow and yellowish-white sapwood, sharply separated from the reddish-brown core; in the light it darkens and becomes dark brown. The vessels form groups of light dots on the section; the medullary rays are narrow, but clearly visible. The wood is hard, heavy, with beautiful texture, color and shine.
Apple tree. The wood is hard, heavy, of uniform structure, quite viscous, and has high strength and wear resistance. Drying it is not easy, as it dries out a lot, but then the product never cracks or warps. The wood can be painted well, sanded, polished and polished well. Soaked linseed oil or drying oil, acquires greater strength and deep dark brown color. The wood of apple trees growing in a helical shape, the butt part of the trunk and roots, has an original texture. Cutting tools leave a smooth, glossy cut on the wood. Apple wood is especially good for fine carving of miniature sculptures.
Rowan. The wood is reddish-brown in color, difficult to process, but has high strength, heavy and hard. Freshly cut rowan should be dried carefully, in a gentle manner, as it dries out greatly. Products made from rowan can be easily painted, etched, sanded and polished, acquiring a beautiful silky shine. Dense and homogeneous rowan wood is an excellent material for turning and carving work. Durable, with an expressive curled texture, rowan wood was previously widely used for carved and slotted products (loom parts, bowls, spoons, ladles). The root of the rowan tree is an excellent material for sculpture, the branches are flexible enough for weaving.
Bird cherry. The wood is heavy, strong, dense and flexible, is resistant to moisture and does not warp or crack when dry. Easily etched, painted and polished. Young wood white, old - red-brown, has the smell of almonds. Although bird cherry wood dries out little, it should be dried carefully so that it will not crack or warp. Due to the homogeneity of the structure, it cuts perfectly in all directions, and when polished it acquires a glassy shine. It has always been popular with carpenters, turners, and woodcarvers.
Hazel. It has long been used for small turning, carpentry, and carving work. Chess sets, pencil cases, pencils, shuttles, pipe stems, and tool handles were turned and cut out of it. Thin, flexible strands were used for weaving, hoops, and fishing rods.
Lilac. Wood with a beautiful texture, when painted with a weak solution of hydrochloric acid, acquires a purple color.
Wood buckthorn, honeysuckle, hawthorn hard, bone-like, does not crack, polishes well.

deciduous tree species (disseminated vascular)

Linden. The wood is soft, light, and quite viscous. Due to the homogeneity of the structure, it is perfectly processed in all directions manually and by machine. lathe, keeps its shape well. It is widely used for the manufacture of objects decorated with relief openwork and sculptural carvings (however, they try not to make small carvings from linden). Linden does not crack, sticks well, is painted, and is satisfactorily polished.
Aspen. The wood is soft, light-colored, not straight-grained, but easy to work with; it bulges when planed. It cuts well with a chisel and is easy to polish across the grain. Wet wood is difficult to saw along the grain. The color of aspen can be pure white or greenish, which is important when making mosaics (marquetry) and inlays (intarsia). It is not afraid of moisture, does not warp or crack. It does not prick from impact, peels well, and glues securely. Light toys, dishes, and other small objects are made from it and decorated with carvings. Aspen aged for several years is perfectly sanded and polished.
Alder. The wood is light, soft, moderately drying, exhibits slight warping when drying, can be cut, glued, painted and polished well. Used for carving work, as well as to imitate ebony and mahogany, walnut. The natural color of alder is from white to pale brown; in air it quickly changes to red-brown.
Poplar. The wood is light, soft and dimensional-resistant, can be processed and glued well, and is finished satisfactorily. Low resistance to rotting. Color - from whitish, yellowish-brown to red-brown. The texture is beautiful, large-layered. Of all the varieties of poplar, silver poplar is valued.
Willow. Heartwood with wide white sapwood, vaguely demarcated from the brownish-pink core. The wood is loose and therefore light, fresh, very soft, and is used for small outbuildings. Willow is good for weaving baskets, furniture, and mats. Talnik, krasnotal, belotal, chernotal, willow, willow, willow, shelyuga - this is not a complete list of popular names various types and you.
Common birch. The wood is of medium density and hardness, uniform in structure, strong, quite tough, easy to cut in all directions, drills, glues, polishes and paints very well. Disadvantages - susceptibility to cracking, warping, severe shrinkage, wormhole damage and rot. The wood of the warty and downy birch is highly durable; its hardness is on the border between soft and hard species.
Karelian birch. In appearance it does not differ from ordinary wood, but its wood is completely different: light ocher in color, it is densely “painted” with small dark inclusions, which create a moire shimmer against the mother-of-pearl background. The combination of broken heart-shaped rays and wavy growth layers gives a beautiful mottled surface in section. The wood is viscous, cuts well, and almost does not crumble.
Beech. Nuclear-free breed. The wood is white with a yellowish-red tint; annual layers are clearly visible in all sections; the heart-shaped rays are wide and narrow. It is distinguished by high strength, beautiful texture in a radial section, but is poorly resistant to rotting. In terms of mechanical properties - density, strength, hardness - beech is close to oak. In the steamed state it lends itself well to bending. Due to its beautiful texture, it is used for the production of sliced ​​veneer, parquet friezes, musical instruments, mosaic works, carvings, imitation rosewood and mahogany, walnut.
Walnut. One of the few breeds with a rich range of colors and tones and a variety of textures. Color - from light brownish-grayish tones to gray-brown, almost black. The wood is moderately hard, does not dry out much, holds its shape, is easy to process, cuts perfectly in all directions, glues and finishes well. Used for various carvings, mosaics, and cladding.
Hornbeam. The wood is white with a grayish tint, shiny, heavy, strong, tough, often twisted, difficult to chip, cut, difficult to polish, but easily painted, imitating ebony. Used for making musical instruments and various crafts.
Sycamore. The wood is light and moderately hard, but its heterogeneous structure makes it difficult to process. It is one of the most decorative. Wide and fairly frequent rays on a cut of wood form an unusually beautiful texture, so well-polished products look very elegant. Used for making parquet, furniture, valuable crafts.
Pear. The wood is dense, strong and hard, practically does not warp or crack, it is well processed, glued, painted and finished. After tinting it imitates ebony. The pear is used mainly for small and medium carvings with complex relief, for applied and openwork carvings, and mosaic work.
Maple. The wood is not only dense, strong and hard, but also beautiful. Its structure is thin, and the white heart-shaped rays shine, especially in a longitudinal section. It is difficult, but evenly pricked, well processed, glued, and painted. Mainly used for carving work (especially for overhead carving). Bird's eye maple is good for inlaid decoration in marquetry and for veneering. The “streaming” maple wood with its wavy grain and burl is also highly prized.
Red tree. A number of tropical wood species (mahogany, sangwood, etc.). The wood is red, red-brown, light cherry or light pink in color, with a red texture, very durable, and polishes well. It has long been used to make high-quality furniture. Sometimes the wood of yew, black alder, and sequoia is called mahogany.
Ebony. Several types tropical trees, mainly from the ebony family. The wood is dark or black in color, very dense, heavy, durable, and easy to process. It is made from valuable furniture, carvings and turnings, musical instruments. The wood of hornbeam, boxwood, yew, plum, and birch can easily be finished as ebony. Black wood has bog oak.

Choosing wood is a very important moment, since the quality of the finished product will depend on its quality.

What to pay attention to when choosing a tree:

• If you want to make suburi bokken, you need heavy wood.
• If you plan to use a sword for kumitachi (working in pairs), then you will also need a very dense tree that can withstand blows.

The same requirements can be applied to jo.

Below you can see the characteristics of different types of wood that can be used to make training weapons.

Oak

The most common tree in terms of availability.

Oak is a hard and strong tree, brownish yellow color with strongly pronounced annual layers. A particularly characteristic feature of oak is the frequent and thick medullary rays. The wood of young trees is hard, flexible and grayish-brown in color. In older trees, the wood is more yellow and brittle. The sapwood is quite thick and can be sharpened by worms.

There are many varieties of oak.

Let's pay attention to two groups:

• The first includes varieties growing in the south and differing in appearance by the fact that their acorns hang directly on the branches, and also by the fact that their leaves turn yellow in the fall, but fall from the tree only in winter or even in spring when young ones appear. This variety is called winter oak, its wood is more valuable. Oak produces the best wood at the age of 80 - 150 years, grown in black forest, that is, in dense mixed forests. Pure oak forests do not produce good trees, since their trunks are squat, thick and gnarled.
• another variety of oak is known as the spring oak and differs mainly in that the acorns hang on long petioles, which the winter oak does not have. The wood of spring oak is somewhat stickier, knottier and grayer - in general, its qualities are lower than the wood of the previous group.

Red oak, which has pink wood, is also available.

Treatment

Oak is quite difficult to plan and saw, it chips easily, and does not take polish well due to its porosity.

Stable in water.

Oak wood quality

You certainly shouldn't cut down an entire oak tree to make one knife or bokken :) One small board is enough.

It is quite difficult to determine the quality of wood by eye. From many years of experience of craftsmen, it is known that trees growing on the southern side of the forest, as well as on stronger and more nutritious soil, produce much worse wood than trees exposed to north winds and growing on poor soil. To test the qualities of oak wood, there is one proven method: you need to take a small piece from each of the boards (it is desirable that all the pieces are the same shape and size), weigh them and put them in water for several hours. The one that absorbs the least amount of water will be the best in quality, since the density of its fibers will be the greatest.

conclusions

Oak is a controversial tree, and many people do not like it as a material for weapons.

Keep in mind that a jo or bokken made from wood that is as close to the core of the tree as possible (as determined by the rings) will perform very well. You can safely work with such weapons in pairs. If the wood was located closer to the bark (the rings look like parallel lines), then such a weapon will not last long - it will crack. When struck, the wood fibers are first dented and then peeled off.

Beech

Has several varieties:

Red beech

In some cases, it is not much inferior in strength to oak, but is nevertheless susceptible to wormholes and warps greatly.

To prevent worm attacks, the finished product is smoked or steamed. (You can also impregnate it with wax). To make the tree warp less in the future, it is cut down in mid-summer, and then, after a year, it is sawn into boards, which are placed in water and kept in it for several months.

The color of the wood is reddish-brown, with many large and darker sparkles; With age, the color darkens and turns almost brown. When steamed, beech bends into the most bizarre shapes and, after drying (in a fixed position), retains them for a very long time.

White beech or hornbeam

It has a whitish-gray wood, very hard and strong, with lighter shines on the smoothly finished surface. It is quite difficult to prick due to the cross-layering. Annual layers in cross section have an irregular wavy line. Sapwood is as hard as the wood itself. While the wood is damp, it warps greatly, but after thorough drying it almost does not change its shape under the influence of atmospheric influences; As it dries, the hardness of the hornbeam increases so much that its processing requires the sharpest tools.

Treatment

The rawer the wood, the easier it is to process. In general, it is easy to saw and plan. It takes polish very poorly.

conclusions

A very nice tree. It handles well and withstands impacts (it dents and does not split like oak).

The only small negative is that the wood is quite light (for a suburi bokken) and warps (the articles on making bokken and jo will tell you how to try to avoid this).

Although it is worth noting that if you take the so-called French beech (the description is very similar to red), you can get a good suburi-bokken, both in weight and in quality.

And one more thing: when processing weapons, the wood can break off in small squares, like dust. Although this may depend on the quality of the particular specimen.

Ash

Its wood is not particularly beautiful, yellowish in color with lighter and darker stripes. If the finishing is not done thoroughly, the annual layers with a lot of pores clogged during grinding and polishing protrude out (this is what makes it necessary to abandon its use).

It is quite hard, dense and heavy, and most importantly elastic; when dry, it is quite durable, especially if dried over steam. In its raw form, it is easily wormed and is very sensitive to atmospheric changes.

conclusions

Mainly suitable for making tanto.

pear tree

It is obtained mainly from wild game. The garden pear tree makes good wood, but it never reaches such a size that it can be cut into boards.

The color of young trees is yellowish-white, and old ones are brownish. The structure of the wood is dense, without noticeable pores and annual layers. Practically does not warp. Having a striking similarity in structure to ebony, pear is much stronger than it!

Treatment

The pear is planed, cut and sawed in all directions equally well. By soaking in water and then slowly drying, the pear tree noticeably hardens and turns brown.

conclusions

Working with a pear is a pleasure! It is perfectly processed and polished, holds impacts well (dents). When choosing a board, you should inspect it very carefully, since the pear is prone to wormholes.

Red tree

The most common and best known of the trees sold here. Under the name mahogany, various and different-family species are sold that have a common color and, to some extent, wood structure. When freshly cut, the tree has a yellowish-red color, but over time, under the influence of air and light, it darkens and gradually takes on a brown-red or crimson-red color.

Mahogany quality

The wood is mostly soft and very weather resistant. It has a completely unchangeable shape.

Treatment

Processing (with rare exceptions) is easy.

Sapeli

A variety of mahogany with not very dense wood of red-brown heterogeneous color.

Treatment

This type of mahogany is difficult to process and polish.

conclusions

If you make weapons from it, then only for practicing suburi.

Mahogany

Has four varieties:

• homogeneous
• wavy
• speckled
• knotty.

The color of the uniform type of mahogany is brownish-red. Quite dense wood.

conclusions

Easy to process. Takes a hit well.

Acacia White

It is considered the hardest hardwood in our country. This breed was brought to Europe from North America. Grows in Ukraine, the Caucasus, Crimea and Central Asia. White acacia is a heartwood species with a very narrow yellowish sapwood, sharply demarcated from a greenish-gray or yellowish-gray core. The early zone of the annual layers is occupied by a ring of large vessels. Small vessels in the late zone form groups in the form of dots, dashes or short winding lines; the vessels are clogged with till. The annual layers are clearly visible in all sections. The medullary rays are narrow but noticeable.

White acacia wood has beautiful color and texture, high hardness, strength and resistance to rotting. In terms of physical and mechanical properties, it is significantly higher than oak and ash. The wood does not crack or warp, has great friction resistance, is very elastic and polishes well. In air and under the influence of light, it noticeably darkens over time, making the texture more expressive and brighter. In its homeland, white acacia wood is of great use; In our country it is used in mechanical engineering (wooden screws), for the manufacture of parquet, furniture, and planing tool blocks.

Cayenne tree (or amaranth)

Scientists cannot decide whether this is a separate species of tree or whether it is part of the redwood tree.

The surface of the tree has a dark gray color, but then it gradually changes and turns into brownish-lilac or wine-red. May take on Murasaki color. It is worth noting - a very, very beautiful color!

The tree is hardwood and polishes well.

conclusions

Great stuff! From it you can easily make a suburi bokken weighing almost 1 kg, while it will look like a regular bokken. You can fight with weapons made from amaranth (the tree can withstand blows perfectly) and practice suburi. The only thing is that the wood is a little warped.

Merbau

The color is brown-black with yellow and light brown streaks. Easy to process. It has dense but porous wood.

conclusions

If you make weapons from it, then only tanto and suburi-bokken, since the wood, although heavy, warps a lot.

American hornbeam

A variety of white beech, its wood is even more dense and fine-grained than ordinary hornbeam. It cracks with great difficulty and can withstand very heavy loads (impacts).

Backout

Perhaps it is a type of ironwood, to such an extent their properties are similar. The only difference is the strong cross-layering of the backcoat, which prevents splitting. It is most widely used in the manufacture of products subject to impact and friction. It has remarkable durability.

Brazilwood (Fernambuco)

The tree is dense and heavy, yellowish-orange in color; under the influence of light it becomes cherry, and then almost completely blackens. When dry, it hardly warps and is generally not sensitive to atmospheric influences. The sapwood of the tree is white and is not used.

Elm

The most common species is the common broadleaf elm, characterized by its heavy, light-colored wood that darkens over time. The wood of old trees is dirty pink in color, dotted with many veins and lines. Despite the distinct annual layers, the tree is very dense and low-porous. It does not crack at all and warps very little.

The elasticity and flexibility are wonderful. In ancient times, it was used for the manufacture of parts that were subject to increased requirements for strength during impacts and shocks. Trees of this species, due to their viscosity and fine fiber, split, plan and polish extremely poorly.

Fine-fibered elm

It has reddish, spotted and veined wood; hard, dense, warps a little and is processed with difficulty, but completely smoothly, taking on a beautiful wavy surface pattern.

Guaiac (holy tree)

Grows in America and India. It is very dense, resinous, finely fibrous and remarkably hard, almost like metal.

It is difficult to process and crumbles (like black and ironwood) if the tools are not sharp enough. It polishes beautifully, but it must be polished without oil, with just water.

iron tree

Derived from different types tropical trees, but the botanical name of the species that produces the best material has not yet been determined. The color is mostly dark brown with brown-green or brown-red veins, although there are varieties of brown-olive color with almost black veins. Ironwood wood has straight grain, but is completely devoid of flexibility. This is the strongest and heaviest tree of all known tree species.

Green ebony

Or green Tree, differs from ebony in its olive-green or greenish-brown color with light and yellowish veins. Its density, hardness and heaviness are in no way inferior to real ebony.

Elm

Its properties are very similar to elm, but much harder. The color of the wood is grayish, with red oblong spots. In many cases, elm is preferable to oak.

Italian pear

The tree is white or greenish in color, very hard, strong and dense.

cotoneaster

It grows mainly in the Caucasus and Crimea. The wood comes in various shades of brown and yellow, with brown streaks. In terms of hardness, cotoneaster is not much inferior to backcoat. It is difficult to process, but very easy to polish.

Lemon Tree

This tree bears no fruit. It gets its name from its color and lemon smell. Grows in South America. The tree is very dense, heavy, easy to split and process. Excellent polishing. Many tropical trees are known under this name, for example:

Espanil,

Antillean rose,

Candle, etc.

All of these trees share the characteristic characteristics of a lemon tree and differ only in the specks and streaks of yellower flowers.

Holly (holly)

Its characteristics are similar to boxwood. This tree is remarkable for its whiteness, reminiscent of ivory; Over time it turns yellow. It is dense and uniform in structure. Old holly trees produce even denser wood, only slightly brown in color.

Rosewood

It is sometimes called violet tree or jacaranda. Its wood is very hard and dense. The color is difficult to determine; the predominant color is dark brown with a purple tint.

Palm (boxwood, boxwood)

Boxwood grows in southern Europe and the Caucasus, from where it is brought under the name palm trees. This is the hardest of all European trees, it is distinguished by its density and uniformity of structure; yellowish color with gray layers, can be processed perfectly with all tools; polishes well, but soon becomes dull; warps a little if it has not been thoroughly dried first. The best axle boxes come from the Caucasus.

Edible chestnut

Has a hard and very durable wood, which does not warp or crack. It takes polish very well.

Sapan

It is often called red sandalwood, but this is incorrect. Young wood is pinkish-white, turning red as it ages. The density and heaviness of this tree is somewhat greater than that of fernambuco. The best sapan comes from Siam (Thailand).

Ebony (Ebony)

There are several wood species known under the general name of ebony, but very different in their qualities and properties.

Hereby Ebony specimens brought from the islands of Ceylon, St. Mauritius and Madagascar should be considered. It has a thick black color and a very pleasant odor released by the shavings when burned. Very often there are white layers in the tree (double sapwood), which reduce the value of ebony. Thick white sapwood is not used. Ebony of this species, like many others, is distinguished by the density of its fibers and the density of its structure; annual layers are almost invisible; sands well, but should not be polished to avoid damage appearance. The big disadvantages of ebony include the ability to crack and crumble.

All other varieties of ebony, imported from East India, South America, Africa, etc., are significantly inferior both in purity of color and in strength and hardness.