What is Tiger Maple?

Features

• Tiger maple's distinctive pattern is a deviation in the wood's growth known as figuring. The pattern travels across the grain and can look like stripes, waves or small flames.

Function

• Because of its hardness, durability and beauty, tiger maple is a frequent choice for custom-made furniture, gun stocks, knife handles and musical instruments.

Geography

• Tiger maple wood comes from the red maple tree, a temperate hardwood tree that grows in the eastern United States and Canada.

History

• The use of tiger maple for furniture peaked in 18th century colonial America. Violin makers have used tiger maple for centuries, earning the wood yet another name: fiddle maple.

Considerations

• Not all maple trees produce tiger maple wood. The size, intensity and consistency of the pattern determine the grade or quality. The curly grain can make tiger maple less stable than straight-grained maple.

Misconceptions

• Do not confuse tiger maple with bird's eye maple, which comes from hard maple trees and features a grain pattern of small, tight dots.