Tineo, Satinwood, Yew, Laurel Burl, and Tiama Veneer: Characteristics and Usage

Tineo Veneer – Tineo (pictured left) is a very exotic looking wood from Chile that is also known as Indian Apple. It’s great for panels, pedestals, speaker enclosures, high-end small displays and all high visibility areas. It has a fantastic, stand-out design with a pink grain and black streaks that often look like flames. Tineo is very difficult to match from one sheet to the next so it is best to plan small jobs for it.

Satinwood Veneer – Satinwood (picture on the right) looks so much like Figured Movingui Veneer (which is also known as Nigerian Satinwood) that they are essentially interchangeable. It has a light yellow tone and a nice fiddleback or block mottle figure. Satinwood is generally heavy and dense. It is used largely as a decorative veneer, for inlay work, lines, bands, displays, and more.

Yew Veneer – Yew is a reddish-brown wood that has a mostly straight grain with some curves and irregularities. There are some odd streaks including purple, mauve, and brown patches and clusters which add to the interesting look and feel. This wood was one of the most common for bow staves in England, and Yew Veneer has been and continues to be used in cabinetry, marquetry, paneling, and most other veneer applications.

Laurel Burl Veneer – Laurel burl is a yellow or blonde veneer with tight clusters and a great pattern. It looks very stately and upscale, and can be used in many high end applications. It is very similar to Myrtle Burl, and in some cases can substitute for it. Like Myrtle, it has a two-tone nature. Laurel Burl can be used in paneling, inlays, and displays.

Tiama Veneer – Tiama is a reddish-brown wood with a mostly straight but interlocked grain pattern and unique-looking dark streaks. It is a medium weight wood that works easily with tools. It is a member of the Mahogany family and is also related to Sapele. Tiama Veneer is great for panels and furniture. In solid form it is used for planking, boat cabins, and railcar carriages.

Oakwood's Veneer Price List Doesn't Include Everything - If You Don't See It, Ask!

At Oakwood, we pride ourselves on having an extensive veneer price list that has every item in stock daily. However, sometimes there are items our customers are looking for that aren't on the list. And often, we either have those items, we can make them up, or we can get them in very shortly. The key is - if you don't see it, ask!

Here are some items that Oakwood might be able to provide if you ask.

1) Other veneer species. It will be hard to find species out there that we don't have on our price list, but if you do, ask about it. Sometimes we might have an alternative that is extremely similar (for example Pearwood Veneer - pictured left - is almost the same as Madrone Veneer). Occasionally these alternatives can save you money as well. Sometimes we will have that exact species in stock. And sometimes we can get that exact species for you by special order, which is not a long process. Just ask.

2) Veneer on any backer. We can put any species on any backer for 4X8 and 4X10 sizes (except for crossgrain or counterfront on phenolic which doesn't work well). Need Koa Veneer (pictured right) on Pressure Sensitive Adhesive? No problem. Mozambique Veneer on wood-on-wood? You got it. We also have phenolic back, paper back, and bubble-free double paperback. Just ask.

3) Sizes and species of edgebanding. For example, the species you want may only be listed in 7/8" while you want in 1". We might have this in stock, or we may be able to special order it. Just ask.

4) Less-expensive ways to get your job done right. For example, we had one customer ask for a Zebrawood Veneer sheet (pictured left) in 4X12. After a little discussion, we found that they could get the job done perfectly with two 4X8 sheets and slicing off 2 feet from the end of each. This saved them a significant amount of money, because zebrawood in 4X12 is very pricey because it is so difficult to make. We may be able to find similar solutions for you. Just ask.

Iroko Veneer, Madrone Burl Veneer, Obeche Veneer, Larch Veneer, and Pine Veneer

Here are some Great Hardwood and Softwood Veneer Choices

Hardwoods:

Iroko Veneer – This is a golden-orange to light brown wood (pictured left) with an interlocked grain pattern and a coarse, but even texture. It is a medium density wood which bends moderately with moisture. Iroko Veneer is often used in ship and boat building, as well as furniture making, flooring, and decorative veneering.

Madrone Burl Veneer – This is a beautiful pinkish wood (pictured right) with tight clusters and a great, soft figure. Because the color is similar to Pearwood and sometimes Cherry, it can compliment Pearwood or Cherry in veneering projects. It also can take the place of Cherry Burl because Cherry Burl is difficult to find. Madrone Burl Veneer has a flesh toned, pillowy flair to it and can be used in situations where an elegant look is desired.

Obeche Veneer – Obeche (picture on your left) is very light in color, normally a creamy-white or a pale-yellow shade. It has an interlocked grain, which makes for faint darker stripes on top. Obeche Veneer is very lightweight and easy to work on with simple hand or machine tools. It is great for drawer interiors, cabinet framing, and marquetry.

Softwoods:

Larch Veneer – Larch (image on right) is one of the softwood veneers, like Pine or Douglas Fir, but it is generally harder than these woods, making it closer to a hardwood veneer. Larch Veneer has a pale wood color and can come in straight grain or Knotty Larch Veneer. Larch is often used for door and window frames, staircases, ship-building, and posts. It is very popular in Europe and is the European equivalent of Douglas Fir Veneer.

Pine Veneer – Pine Veneer, in the form of Yellow or White Pine, or Knotty Pine Veneer (on the left), is a great classic choice that can be used in almost any type of woodworking situation. Pine Veneer is used extensively in home-building and can be found everywhere from furniture to carving projects. Pine is relatively inexpensive when compared to most wood species.

Phenolic Back Veneer is Better at Oakwood Veneer

Did you know that Oakwood’s phenolic back veneer is really much better than the competition?

Here are the Advantages of Oakwood Veneer's Phenolic Back Versus the Competition:

1. It has a brown edge line instead of a black one. This generally matches the wood theme much better than black, and it is usually visible when viewing the seams.

2. It installs easier, because you can cut it with a knife – you don’t need a saw or a router.

3. It is easier to handle and lays flatter because it is more flexible, and this also means it ships much easier, for less money, and with less risk of damages.

4. It is water resistant. For this reason, many of our customers won’t use any other phenolic back veneer.


You might ask why someone would choose phenolic back veneer in the first place.

Here are Three Reasons Why Phenolic Back Might be a Good Choice for You:

1. When you need to laminate to a dissimilar surface, phenolic will be very stable as opposed to paperback or raw wood.

2. When the substrate, or material that the veneer will be applied to is irregular or bumpy, etc., phenolic eliminates the irregularity. It's kind of like the Princess and the Pea where she felt the pea beneath the mattress. With phenolic back veneer, you won't be able to feel the pea, or the irregularity.

3. If you're not a veneer guy, you can easily apply it. The application is just like using Formica or other laminates - it has the same basic principles.

Olive Ash Burl Veneer, Ropey Cherry Veneer, Madrone Veneer, Brazillian Cherry Veneer, and Macassar Ebony Veneer

Interesting Rare Choices in Wood Veneer

Olive Ash Burl Veneer - This is a stunning burl with brown lines overlaying a quilted wild burl pattern, and it's pictured is on your left. It has a two-tone look that can make very pleasing patterns in many types of projects. Alternatively, white ash burl has only one color and therefore a much more subdued overall look. Both Olive Ash Burl Veneer and White Ash Burl Veneer are from the same tree.

Ropey Cherry Veneer - When you're looking for a single-toned cherry color veneer with a little more pizazz, Ropey Cherry Veneer might be just what you need. The figure has a twisting, wavy effect, that uncoincidentally looks like a rope.

Madrone Veneer - Madrone is sometimes called Faux Pearwood because of its reddish-brown color. The difference is that it doesn't have any figure like pearwood does. Madrone Veneer comes in flat-cut or quartered, and also as Madrone Burl Veneer, one of the nicest burls available which has a very sophisticated and yet understated pattern.

Brazillian Cherry Veneer - This is a wood that is often used in high end flooring. It is the same species as Jatoba Veneer. Many furniture and cabinet makers make use of Brazilian Cherry. It has dark brown streaks over a salmon red to orange brown main tone. This is a very strong wood, and some say it is similar to Mahogany Veneer.

Macassar Ebony - This is a very dark-brown to black wood with lighter streaks of grey-brown, yellow-brown or pale-brown. It's the most widely used wood of all the ebony woods, and it has a wide range of uses including musical instruments, tool handles, and much more. This is one veneer that is difficult to match based on the streak patterns.

Veneer Prices and Different Veneer Backers By Request

I often will look at huge price lists, like the ones from huge tool or plumbing supply wholesalers. Their lists are very impressive, however they have one difference from the veneer price list we provide at Oakwood - they don't have everything in stock daily. Not only do we have our whole price list in stock everyday, (except for rare sold out items that we quickly replace), we have many more options available that are not even listed. We are always adding to our list of veneer prices.

We also have the ability to put veneer on different backers by request. For example, Holly Veneer was previously not avaible on phenolic, wood-on-wood, or pressure-sensitive adhesive backing. Now, we can put Holly up on any of these backers. Those species available in larger sizes, such as Zebrawood Veneer (pictured left) or Madrone Veneer (pictured on the right, below) can be put on pressure-sensitive adhesive, wood-on-wood, and on phenolic up to 4X10. Unfortunately because these are special orders, they are not returnable, except in the case of defects.

The best part about our price sheet is that you can use it to quote jobs for your clients and know right away whether the job will work, or if you might need to change to a less expensive species. All of this is available to you without even needing to call, let alone waiting for a sales rep. Instant pricing is important to help you do your job in a timely manner.


Check Out Our Other Posts: Pine Veneer, Macassar Ebony Veneer, Quilted Maple Veneer

Short-Run Exotic Veneer Plywood Architectural Panels Now Available

Oakwood Veneer is introducing Short-Run Exotic Veneer Plywood Architectural Panels.

I have had many customers requesting that we lay up veneer on a plywood or MDF board. Until now, we did not do this. Starting now, we are laying up any of our 250 species of veneer on panels, including ultralite MDF, fire-rated MDF, formaldehyde-free MDF, regular MDF, Baltic Birch Plywood, or Custom Laid Plywood. This can be shipped to you quickly - call us for a time-frame.

Maybe there aren't any places that do laid up veneer plywood in your area. So if you are looking for Purpleheart Veneer (shown left) in Paducah, Kentucky or Sen Veneer (shown below right) in Sioux City, Iowa, no problem. Olive Ash Burl Veneer panels in Ogden City, Utah... you got it. The great news is that our entire selection of 250 species is available now on your choice of board. This type of selection is either not available elsewhere, or would require a very long wait period - but with Oakwood it can be done quicker than you think.

Be sure to give us a call at 800-426-6018 to order your Exotic Veneer Plywood Panels today!


Check Out Our Other Posts: Brazilian Cherry Veneer, Curly Maple Veneer, Walnut Burl Veneer, Rustic Walnut Veneer, Tiama Veneer

Don't Make Veneer Assumptions - Call and Ask Us

It's one of the biggest mistakes my customers make. They assume that veneer will look a certain way, and then they are disappointed when it is not what they imagined.

For example, some people order the veneer book-matched and expect that all of the veneer will be sequenced. Some people order veneer, assuming that it will look the exact same as the samples they have. Some assume that all of the veneer received in a Quarter-Sawn Cherry Veneer (pictured to the left) or Quarter-Sawn Maple Veneer (pictured on the right in the next paragraph) order will be the same. However, in all of these situations, they might come out disappointed.

Here is my point: To make sure you get what you want, be sure to talk to us and tell us your intentions. Don't be afraid to ask - you won't look stupid. We welcome questions and we're happy to answer every one of them. We don't expect that you know everything about veneer, just like I don't know everything when I go and buy a car or a computer.

Oakwood is here to help. Call us at 800-426-6018 or email peter@oakwoodveneer.com or fax us at 248-720-0288. We are old fashioned - we don't even have individual voice mails - just people there to talk. Three guys are always ready to take your tech support questions, Geoff, Jay and myself (Peter). When it comes to wood veneer - don't be shy, talk to us.


Check Out Our Other Posts: Australian Walnut Veneer, Rotary Maple Veneer, Pomele Bosse Veneer, Laurel Burl Veneer, Larch Veneer

The Value Difference in Oakwood Veneer

It's a question that I get asked sometimes, and even more-so in this poor economy: why does Oakwood Veneer charge more for certain products than the wood veneer distributor down the street, or the other internet wood guys? The truth is that when you realize the value of Oakwood's products and service, you understand why paying a little more is very often more than worth it. Often we can save you the cost of an entire job right away (not just a long-term benefit). And for the times that the extra cost is not worth it, we will gladly direct you to the cheaper guys. Here are the ways that Oakwood provides value:

1. Veneer Comes in Many Different Grades, Much Like Diamonds. Veneer grades take into consideration the width of the flitches (individual lengthwise wood pieces that are put together to make the full sheet - wider is better), the cleanliness of the sheet (if it has defects like knots or marks in various places), and whether it consists of leftovers (various scraps that don't match well). Oakwood only sells high grades of veneer, usually 2-3 grades better than our competitors, that have none of the problems associated with the lower grades. For example, to the left top is a premium grade of Pommele Sapele Veneer. Just below it is a non-premium version, which you can see is not as high quality. Other companies will often sell you grades of veneer that are even lower than this non-premium version.

2. Oakwood Will Take Back Any Veneer Piece With a Full Refund - No Restocking Fee. Your veneer doesn't match right? Doesn't work like you wanted? Most other companies either won't take it back at all or will charge a significant restocking fee. We stand 100% behind our products with a Money Back Guarantee.

3. Tech Support is Always Available. Some companies have one tech guy who is always too busy to talk. Some have none at all, and some don't even take phone calls. We have three guys Geoff, Jay, and myself (Peter) who are always available to help with whatever questions you may have. Call us at 800-426-6018.

4. Oakwood Matches Your Pieces for Grain and Color. If you order several sheets from another company, there is very often no concern about whether the grain and color match. You might get three or four different styles of a single species, and the end result is that your full project will look shoddy. This is never a concern at Oakwood Veneer, because we always match pieces. We will even match a new order with your existing pieces if you send us pictures or samples by email or mail.


Check Out Our Other Posts: Madrone Veneer, Tiger Maple Veneer, Chestnut Veneer, Knotty Pine Veneer, Ribbon Mahogany Veneer

Take Advange of Our Veneer Matching System

More and more people are making use of our unique veneer matching program, and some people still don't know we offer it. So here are the details:

It's real simple: take a picture (higher quality is better) of the current veneer project you're working with, and email the file to me at peter@oakwoodveneer.com or mail it to 1830 Stephenson Hwy Suite A Troy, MI 48083. Then give us a call at 800-426-6018. We have three people with a combined more than 60 years of experience working with veneers and wood-matching. We can help match your furniture piece or hotel lobby, etc. - even if it is a hard to match species like Anigre Veneer or Lyptus Veneer (pictured to the left).

How much extra do we charge for a program like this? Nothing at all. It's all a part of our commitment to make sure every single product we sell is backed up and satisfies you.


Check Out Our Other Posts: Brazilian Walnut Veneer, Rotary Red Oak Veneer, Pomele Makore Veneer, Yew Veneer, Obeche Veneer

Why Should I Choose Wood Veneer When I Can Easily Get Lumber?

It's a question that I get from people all of the time: "Why is it better to purchase veneer when I can just go to a lumber yard up the block?" While it is true that lumber is better in certain situations, there are lots of reasons why wood veneer is the best choice for many different situations. Here's why:

1. Wood Veneer Offers More Designing Options. Some of the unique woods, for example like Afromosia Veneer, Camphorwood Burl Veneer (pictured to the left), East Indian Rosewood Veneer, and Paldao Veneer are either highly expensive, or unavailable as lumber.

2. Lumber Responds Too Much to Humidity Change with expansion and contraction. Wood veneer, however, barely responds at all to humidity changes. This means that a job done with veneer can withstand the test of time better than lumber. Lumber may become warped or cracked, or it could get unaligned from other parts of the job.

3. Veneer Gives More for the Money, Making Your Job Less Expensive. While veneer does cost more than lumber if considered ounce for ounce, the same job can be done with a lot less wood than if lumber was used (about 1/42 the amount). Therefore, using wood veneer, the same job can be completed at a fraction of the price.

4. Veneer is Eco-Friendly Compared to Lumber. With the environment being a hot topic as of late, many people will like the fact that wood veneer can cover at least forty-two times more surface area than lumber with an equal amount of wood.

5. It is a Lot Easier to Trim and Cut Veneer Than Lumber. Lumber trimming requires a power tool, like a circular or table saw, where only a utility knife is needed to cut or trim veneer.


Check Out Our Other Posts: Lacewood Veneer, Veneer Grade, Mappa Burl Veneer, White Pine Veneer, Crotch Mahogany Veneer,