Camphorwood Burl Veneer, Olive Ash, White Ash, Maple, Walnut, and Madrone Burl Veneer - Stately, Upscale Choices for your Project

As our last post focused on the superior quality of burl veneer at Oakwood, we thought it'd be a good idea to highlight some of our finest burls. While burls tend to be more expensive than regular veneer, remember that only a small amount of burl such as in the center of cabinets or on the front of a desk, can turn an ordinary piece into something extraordinary.

Here are six burl veneer choices that you might want to consider:

1. Camphorwood Burl Veneer: This is a medium to dark-brown wood with a great-looking burl figure. The clusters are both light and dark, and they are very concentrated making for a nice stately appearance. Camphorwood Burl is sometimes used in place of Carpathian Elm Burl when Carpathian can't be acquired.

2. Olive Ash Burl Veneer: This comes from the stumpwood of the olive ash tree. Olive Ash Burl Veneer is a two toned burl that is brown and tan, and invokes the feeling of high class stylings from perhaps the 1940s or even modern styles that are meant to be highly elegant.

3. White Ash Burl Veneer: This burl comes from the same tree as Olive Ash Burl, but from the upper portion as opposed to the stumpwood. The two burls have a similar grain pattern, but White Ash Burl Veneer is single toned, in a white, blondish color. This makes the veneer much more modern looking but still retaining the elegance.

4. Maple Burl Veneer: This burl might have the tightest clusters and the most concentrated grain of all the burls at Oakwood (and likewise, or all burls available anywhere). It is similar to cherry burl, and as cherry burl is not usually available anywhere, it is a suitable and very worthy substitute. Maple Burl Veneer even has the slight reddish tone of cherry.

5. Walnut Burl Veneer: One of the most popular burls on the market today, Walnut Burl Veneer could have its picture next to the word "classy" in the dictionary. Walnut Burl Veneer is a couple shades darker than standard Walnut Veneer, and has extremely nice swirls and clusters. Oakwood sells three grades of Walnut, with the top grade being "instrument grade" or "jewel box grade"

6. Madrone Burl Veneer: This burl also has extremely tight clusters and swirls, but the overall tone goes from light to dark pink. Madrone Burl Veneer is also a very stately wood that complements many different types of light colored room styles.

Have you used any of these burls listed above? How did they work out for you? Would you recommend them to others? Post your comments or questions in the comments below and an Oakwood representative and/or another reader will post a reply.