What is it about curly maple?
Curly maple seems to have an unending appeal. Understandable. It is a light wood, it's figured and vibrant and...well, no one can specifically say why they like it - they just do. Curly maple is a feature of the wood where the growth of the fibers are distorted in an undulating pattern, producing these wavy lines or "flames". It gives the wood a certain depth. Violin backs are often of curly maple. Chests fronts are sometimes curly maple - it makes for very showy pieces. Speaking of which, curly maple is ON SALE, for those of you interested! In the May American Scene auction, May 22nd, there are excellent values in furniture of curly maple. For example, a cradle, a couple of chests of drawers, a rocker, a lovely stand or work table, and a set of six side chairs that are knockouts. Visit Cowan's site (www.cowans.com) for more detailed images and get ready to pull out your checkbooks !
