Figure (wood)

Mountain ash floor, showing some fiddleback figure

In wood, figure refers to the appearance of wood, as seen on a longitudinal surface (side-grain).

Description

Typically figured red gum table

Birdseye figure in Northern Sugar Maple lumber boards

In wood, figure refers to the appearance of wood, as seen on a longitudinal surface (side-grain). A figured wood is not plain.

The figure of a particular piece of wood is, in part, due to its grain and, in part, due to the cut, or to innate properties of the wood.

Types

A few of the tropical hardwoods, like the rosewoods, may have a unique figure. Types of figure include:

• angel step
• bear scratches
• bird's eye
• blister
• burl
• curl
• ribbon curl
• dimple
• fiddleback
• flame
• wide flame
• ghost
• pin stripe
• quilted
• spalted
• tiger stripe