25/. ABURA: A smooth orange brown coloured veneer sometimes found with a blue mineral staining that could be used for sky effects. Care must be taken with this veneer when you apply your varnish because it will go considerably darker than you see it in it's untreated state. It's a nice soft easy cutting veneer that could also be used for roof tops, sails and water effects reflecting a red evening sunset. It could possibly be used for shadow in portrait work. This is a West African veneer and it's Latin name is Mitragyna Ciliata. Can also be found as Bahis, Eben & Subaha.

26/. ACACIA BURR: This European veneer is a nice reddish gold coloured smooth textured burr veneer. It is one of those veneers that you don't come across very often, however if you can lay your hands on a piece of this veneer I would recommend you add it to your collection. The example shown in our veneer gallery is the only piece of this veneer I have chanced upon in years! I'm afraid that all I can find of it's Latin name is "Acacia Spp".

27/. AFZELIA: A West African veneer. This golden brown veneer has a regular grain pattern with a subtle wide stripe effect. The graining is of a small flecked nature, a little similar in style to Avodire. Again, this is another of those veneers not very often seen commercially. It is another veneer that I'm afraid I can't find the correct Latin name for, so I'll give you the names I have on file: "Afzelia Spp" & Apa & Doussie.

28/. ALMOND: (also known as Almond India) This veneer obviously originates in India. Another golden brown veneer, very similar in effect to the previous veneer Afzelia, although this veneer is a few degrees lighter in colour. It is another of those difficult to find veneers that I am including mainly for your reference. Happily with this veneer I do have the correct Latin name for you, and it is Amygdalus Communis. Other names: Terminalia Catappa.

29/. ALDER: European. A pleasant orange brown veneer with subtle parallel line effect. Comfortable to work with and cuts reasonably well. I seem to remember hearing a tale many years ago that burning Alder wood indoors was to invite calamity into your home, so I wonder how we would get on with sand scorching this veneer, perhaps we should do that particular task in the garden, you folks living in flats and apartments will just have to take your chances I'm afraid! Well you'll be pleased to know that I've got a Latin name for this veneer, it is Alnus Glutinosa.

30/. AMARILLO: This veneer comes from South America. Very wide stripes of light tan to deep chocolate brown. And yet another of those veneers you don't come across very often. As I only have a small sample of this veneer I'm afraid that I haven't tried cutting this one so I can't advise you on the ease of cutting this particular veneer, it looks like it may be one of those veneers that need a lot of dipping the scalpel blade in wax in order to get a good clean cut. This is another of those veneers I'm including for your reference because it is one of those you may find difficult to obtain. Latin name Centrolobium Spp.

31/. ANIGRE: Another African veneer. A slightly fleck grained orange veneer with a subtle effect that seems to show a second slight grain pattern almost invisibly crossing the main grain pattern at a 90% angle, it is a nice effect. Another of those veneers shown here for reference purposes. Latin name Aningeria Spp, also Muna, Kala, Agnegra, Landosan.

32/. APPLE: A British veneer. A smooth grained deep orange slightly brown veneer. A wood often used for carving due to the grain configuration of this wood. Not often seen in marquetry. Latin name Malus Pumila, Communis.

33/. ASH JAPANESE: Obviously a Japanese veneer. A creamy pink veneer with a wonderful wavy grain pattern producing a mottled, rather wild figure. It's a medium textured hard veneer that cuts easily. Another of those veneers that is not always available. Excellent for floral subjects, costumes and drapery. Sand shading works well with this veneer and it can be used for interesting sky effects. It makes a good grey coloured wood when chemically treated lending itself well for water effects. Latin name Tamo.

34/. ASH MOTTLED: European. Golden stripy fiddle back effect veneer. Easy to work with and cuts nicely. This is another veneer that could be used effectively to produce convincing water effects. Latin name Fraxinus Excelsior.

35/. ASH OLIVE: European. Straw coloured often found with slightly grey wavy figuring, can make useful sky effects in certain pictures. It could also be used to create water effects in reasonably still water scenes, for instance, in harbours etc. Latin name Fraxinus Excelsior.

36/. BALSA: South America. Yellow orange with a pronounced fleck in its grain pattern. Very often used for model making, especially model aircraft intended for flying with miniature petrol engines because of it's light structural weight and inherent strength. Not often used for marquetry work, although it is a very easy wood to cut and use. Latin name Ochroma Pyramidale.

Well, that's another twelve veneers for you to peruse in our gallery. This selection has included a fair amount of, shall we say, rare veneers. As you will be aware, many veneers are now virtually unobtainable these days due to the de-forestation taking place in many tropical countries and the restrictions placed on the exportation of rare woods by the relevant governments. You can understand the reluctance of these countries to export these rare woods because the remaining stocks of those woods could so easily be used up and the species would become extinct and we will have lost yet another beautiful wood, so although we marquetarians very rarely get our hands on these exotic timbers, the parent stock of these trees are being preserved for future generations of marquetarians to appreciate. Apologies there for getting on my political soap box, I hope you don't mind too much.

Best Wishes, Roy.

Veneer Gallery 1 | Gallery 2 | Gallery 3 | Gallery 4 | Gallery 5 | Gallery 6 | Gallery 7 | Gallery 8

 Veneer Descriptions 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17