Knowledge and experience is needed to identify the different species of wood used for tools. There are several good books on the subject and you can also get wood sample kits from wood supply companies to help with identification. Perhaps the best way to identify wood is to have an experienced person label examples for you, perhaps even using some of the tools you’ve already collected, noting the distinguishing characteristics of each species.

Wood identification is much easier in the classroom with a fresh, clean sample. The two elements that make up the grain, seen with the naked eye, are the longitudinal pores, which form the annual rings, and the rays.

Pores are the openings in the tiny tubes that run up the tree, which appear as holes when the tree is sawn along the trunk. The tree’s annual rings are the result of having more, or larger, pores at the start of the growing season. If the pores are visible to the naked eye, the wood is called an open grain. If 5X magnification is needed, the wood is called a tight or closed grain.

The pores appear differently when the log is sawn lengthwise. They now appear as small clumps, like you would get by cutting a bunch of straws lengthwise. On older tools, these can be caked with dirt, making them appear darker. If the cut is through the center of the tree, the annual rings appear as parallel lines. If the cut is at right angles to the radial section, the rings “wander”.

The rays appear solid and flattened and run outward from the center of the tree. In cross section, they look like thin lines running from the center to the bark. In radial section they become irregular specks; in the flat section they are small straight lines. Lightning is important identification and usually needs 5X magnification.

Two other definitions: sapwood is a doughnut-shaped section of wood next to the bark; it is usually much lighter in color than the rest of the heartwood. With just this information, you can identify the 20 most common tool woods. The clearest view of the pores and rays requires cutting through the wood with a sharp razor, something most collectors would never think of doing unless it could be done in a hidden part. Cleaning the surface with #0000 steel wool will work just as well. This will also help determine the true color, as most tools have an aged (patina) surface that deepens their natural color.

The most used wood for tools is beech, especially on the planes. Although it is a distant cousin to the birch and maple, the three are not easy to tell apart. They are light colored woods, but can patinate to almost a walnut color. Occasionally used for handles and straps, maple is rarely used for tops, so the choice for trim tops is almost always birch or beech. Early American airplane makers, particularly those in 18th-century New England, used a lot of birch, but wooden airplanes made after 1800 were usually beech.

Boxwood is used to shape blueprint wear strips, plow plans, and miniatures. When this light yellow polish wood is paged and darkens, it can be mistaken for maple. Maple’s end grain below 5X has a variety of distinct beam lines, while boxwood’s rays are so thin and close together that they could be missed even under magnification. The apple, particularly its sapwood, is occasionally taken for boxwood, but it is much more granular and pinkish-brown in color. Cherry and apple were the most used fruit woods. The cherry has a reddish hue to its brown color, and although it closely resembles the apple, it is grainier. Another characteristic of the cherry tree, often used for decorative effects, is the color contrast between the sapwood and the heartwood. The sapwood is almost white. Many carpenters used sapwood and heartwood in the same piece for effect.

The forests in the next group are not botanical “cousins”, but they are all dark in color. Ebony can be jet black or have dark brown veins or undertones. You will know it is ebony by its extremely smooth surface. Ebony is also very heavy and sinks in water. Rosewood shows color striations ranging from reddish-brown to nearly black. There are many species of rosewood, the most common used in tools is East Indian rosewood, which is darker and more solid in color. Another species, the Brazilian rosewood, was used from the end of the 19th century. It has a more orange hue and a dramatic grain pattern. Guayacán, another sinking wood, also has grooves resembling rosewood, but varies (in the same piece of wood) between brown and yellow and, unlike rosewood, is very tight-grained. .

Last in this category are mahogany, usually dark brown in color with occasional reddish undertones, often highly figured and moderately open grained. They range from moderately heavy to very heavy in weight. There are so many species of mahogany that grow in South, Central and Africa America that only an expert can tell them apart. Mahogany was most commonly used for levels, to fill in English plans, and for measuring instruments. Although you may find some color striations in the grain, they won’t be as prevalent as rosewoods and that’s one of the best ways to tell them apart.

Handles that need to absorb shock such as axes and adzes; They are generally made of walnut, a medium brown, sinuous, twisted, open-grained wood. You will be able to see long lines of grain in the walnut. Rarely used for tools, oak is an extremely open-grained wood with heavy ray flecks.

Hornbeam is a European wood used by German and Austrian tool makers. It is a light colored wood, very mottled. French Cormier is a softer wood similar to our apple. Both are common in planes and braces originating from those countries.

I hope this information helps you identify the woods in your antique tool collection.