An immensely popular African hardwood, Bubinga is both strong and beautiful. And because of its strong resemblance to Honduras Rosewood, it’s sometimes known as “African Rosewood,” or alternatively Kevazinga. While its heartwood ranges from a pinkish red to darker reddish brown, with darker purple or black streaks, Bubinga’s sapwood is a pale straw color. Often interlocked, its grain yields an unparalleled array of figuring, including pommele, flamed, quilted, mottled, and waterfall. All of which make Bubinga super popular for premium wood veneer, architectural plywood, fine furniture, cabinetry, and decorative flooring and tabletops.

Commonly called Black Popular, “Mappa,” is actually a reference to the highly sought after Mappa Burl figure produced by the species. Also known as European Black Poplar or Italian Popular, Mappa blends a light brown heartwood with a pale yellow to creamy white sapwood. But its renown burl is the showstopper — characterized by little reddish spots, the overall pattern is larger in scale than other burls, not as intense, almost “muscle-like.” Creating a highly decorative, super elegant appearance for drum shells, aviation interiors, fine furniture, wood veneer, and architectural plywood.

Compared to its North American relative, European Walnut offers lighter tones of color with a unique aesthetic. Within any given butcher block sheet, you’ll find light pastels contrasted with dark and rich chocolate browns. The consistency from sheet to sheet allows them to be used in sequence, guaranteeing a pleasing uniform appearance. GL Veneer has custom produced thou-sands of these European Walnut Butcher Block in 4x8s and 4x10s for your next project. Find it in our Veneer Gallery under the name “Euro Walnut Butcher Block.” Add it to your cart. And make GL Veneer your wood veneer supplier today.

Strong, easy to work, and economical — White Oak is a popular American hardwood with an amazing history. Starting in 1687, when Connecticut colonists successfully hid their Royal Charter from the British in a giant, 800-year-old White Oak tree. In the late 1700’s, the species was also used to build the USS Constitution. Fortunately, White Oak is as beautiful as it is historic. A greyish-brown tan color, it’s straight grained, with a coarse uneven texture. When quarter cut, it displays prominent ray fleck patterns. All making it quite popular for wood veneer, architectural plywood, cabinetry, flooring, and boatbuilding.

Sometimes underappreciated, Karelian Birch features one of nature’s most beautiful burls — exotic enough to be used in a 1917 Fabergé Egg. Interestingly, though, Karelian Birch trees aren’t an actual species. Rather they’re Silver Birch from the Karelian region between Finland and Russia. Because of their rare, flame-like “burl” – produced by the unique local soil – Finnish authorities enforce strict harvesting quotas. A vibrant, golden color, the contrasting, darker eyes in the figure create the famous burl that resembles flames climbing up the wood — a transfixing pattern that makes for eye-stopping veneer, architectural plywood, furniture, and interior trim.