A good crotch wood is perhaps one of the most beautiful works of art by nature.
Crotch wood and veneers are known for their highly decorative character and find application in the furniture making and interior designing industry. Although almost all hardwood trees have crotches, not all crotches are created equal in magnificence. There are some attributes, which are essential to make crotch wood or veneer command superior categorization and value.
Let’s see a few features that make for a good crotch.
- 1. Bigger the crotch, the better it is:
If the crotch is big and wide, so will be its figured wood. Wider crotches are also longer as the rings of growth not only add to the width but also add to the length. A big crotch wood also makes for an equally big crotch wood veneer. This means that you get one large single piece of beautifully patterned and highly decorative wood / veneer, which can be used in so many exotic ways. - 2. ‘U’ Shape is better than a ‘V’ Shape:
A ‘U’ shape forming at the intersection is indicative of a crotch that is increasing in length as one piece. It is a smoother pattern and looks more appealing. The ‘V’ shape is usually two pieces just ‘crashing’ at the intersection. The sharp pattern also makes matching of the veneers difficult as compared to a softer pattern of ‘U’. A ‘U’ shape is also more difficult to find and has a more decorative character than the ‘V’ shaped pattern of a crotch. - 3. Parallel is not good.
If two almost parallel branches meet to form a crotch, the crotch is long but usually broken into separate pieces. Sometimes, the bark from each branch is forced into the wood as the crotch grows over it leading to a disturbed pattern; such a crotch usually doesn’t have the distinct flame pattern and are considered to be of low value. - 4. Bulges in crotch are the worst.
If a crotch has a bulge in it, it means there is an inclusion of bark in the crotch. Such a crotch is not smooth and flat; a feature must in a good quality crotch. Such a crotch wood may look like one solid piece on the outside, but the inside will be divided into two pieces with bark down the middle.As we see, besides the size, bark inclusion is an important factor to be considered while choosing crotch wood. Without the bark inclusions, crotches are highly figured wood. With the long bark inclusion present, the crotch is rendered mediocre, devoid of unique pattern and broken.It’s imperative to choose the right crotch for the various applications it’s usually used for such as panelling, furniture such as table top etc.
Starwood veneers have a wide variety of top-notch crotch wood and crotch veneers. The beautifully patterned and highly valued crotch wood and veneers by Starwood have found an ever-growing market across more than 17 countries they are currently exporting to.