Customer Reviews

What Wood Is That?: A Manual of Wood Identification (Studio Book)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book is of little value for the woodworker trying to identify woods commonly used on the American continent. When the species are described (with wood samples provided) the European varieties are given to the exclusion of woods from this continent. Species vary enough from the Euopean continent to make the book of very little use in identifying American woods and can even be misleading. The grain pattern on Birch is a classic example and Birch is used a great deal on funiture.

The book is very badly outdated and lists uses for various woods not seen since the late fifties and early sixties.

Consider carefully before purchasing this book.

If your working on a project involving exotic woods, then this book should be added to your library. The REAL wood samples are great. The book also has very useful information about many types of wood. I find this book to be a handy reference tool and am glad to have added it to my collection.

This is a very friendly and straightforward book. It starts with veneer samples (quite small, but big enough) of 40 woods and finishes with descriptions of the trees that yield these 40 woods.

In between there is quite a bit of useful information on wood, and the history of woodworking. A pretty good introduction to wood for and woodworking. This book will be only modestly useful in identification, since it is limited to naked eye observations of those 40 woods.

I browsed through the 1969 edition and it clearly is from another era (with the chainsaw just being introduced!). I can well imagine that those who equate woodworking with roaring high speed machines may find this quiet book not to their liking.

This book is very handy when identifying and working with foreign wood, but for domestic wood identification try the United State's Department of Agriculture's "The Encyclopedia of Wood." It's extremely in-depth and informative.

This book is a gem. It contains actual samples of woods, it is beautifully designed, very informative. Even if you are not a woodworker, and only just an admirer of this endangered item, you will treasure it. A great gift for home or professional woodworker or cabinet maker, furniture and antiques enthusiast, museum curator, or the like.

I'm a show me type of person. With these wood chips I can put them next to an item to identify the the wood. It settles a dispute quickly and accurately.

If you are a craft minded woody, this is a old print but i would say on of the most informative books printed on the subject, highly recommended!

Great book for anyone who loves to work and build with wood. The samples are actual and not pictures.

Gift for my husband. He just loves it. Very informative and helpful.