Ash lumber has a light color that varies between white and gold, with some gray streaks being common. The shades are similar to maple, but the texture is rougher, more like oak. Ash is a lightweight hardwood, surprisingly so given its strength and stiffness. It even offers a bit more shock resistance than other hardwood species.

Cherry wood varies from creamy white to red to reddish-brown, and it darkens as it ages and dries. It mills very well, and the straight, tight grain gives the wood a very uniform look. When stained and sealed, cherry produces one of the smoothest finishes available, for a very high-end appearance.

Hickory is a super dense hardwood. It tends to have a light- to medium-brown color with a reddish hue, while the sapwood is a paler brown.

Maple is very dense and tough, with a wonderful lightly colored appearance that varies between white, yellow, and a rich golden hue. The grain is relatively tight and straight, and it tends to show in light brown bands. Maples grain types produce a smooth, fine texture that finishes very nicely.

Sapelli is an exotic species native to West and Central Africa, the most abundant of the commercial meliaceae. It is a reddish brown wood, very much like Mahogany since they are in the same family.

White Oak is very dense and tough, with straight-grained, rough textures. It is lighter in color, ranging from white to a pale yellow. White oak is famous for its “fleck,” which is a wavy, contrasting pattern revealed during the sawing process.

Walnut hardwood tends to be straight grained, but it is nearly as likely to feature some waves and irregularities. To the touch, it has a medium-smooth texture. The wood varies from pale brown to a deep chocolate color.