• Straight or Clear— the wood fibers run in a straight direction. This pattern may occasionally have a slight bend or wave to it but tends to be straight overall. 
• Interlocked — the wood fibers go in opposite directions. This pattern makes the wood more difficult to work with.  
• Irregular — the wood’s fibers go in multiple directions, including in knots.  
• Wavy — a wood fiber that has a continuous wave pattern. Wavy grain patterns are relatively rare. 

A softwood comes from an evergreen tree. Examples include Douglas Fir and Western Red Cedar. While these woods have a lower Janka hardness rating, this doesn’t make them less durable. Softwood can be more easily scratched in some contexts, but they also have good resistance to water damage or insect attack.  

A hardwood comes from a deciduous tree. This includes fruit trees like Cherry and exotic imports like Padauk or Sapele Mahogany.  

Clear is another word for straight grain. A clear grain wood has a regular grain pattern as opposed to a wavy one. Our Douglas Fir has a clear, vertical grain pattern which differentiates it from inferior quality Douglas Fir. 

While all of our woods work for exterior applications, we prefer wood species with higher overall durability for exterior purposes. Our favorites for exterior doors? Black Walnut and Knotty Black Walnut, Sapele Mahogany, White Oak (any variant), and Western Red Cedar. Any of our wood species is ideal for interior projects, with the exception of Wenge, which we do not use for countertops.

If you order fewer than five samples, they cost $10 each plus shipping. Five or more samples cost $8 each with free shipping. You’ll receive a special discount code in your sample box, and via email, to redeem $100 off any future purchase of any RealCraft wood product.