Brant Custom Wood

1158 Colborne St. E., Brantford, ON 

(519) 770-3460

While it is true that individual samples may appear almost identical, it is also true that there can be a difference in colour between the two species.

The two types are clearly different, particularly when natural finish is used, hard maple has more consistent colour - creamy white to paper white.  Soft maple sap is seen in many different shades from bright white to pinkish, greyish or tan. 

You can use both hard and soft maple in making small end table and sofa tables.  Both species achieve a curly or tiger figure and the two are usually indistinguishable.

Soft maple is easier to work with and it is less costly.  Soft maple takes stain (or aniline dye to pigment stains) more readily than does hard.  Therefore, it would NOT be advisable to mix soft and hard maple in a tabletop, or to have 3 soft maple legs and only 1 hard maple leg.

Bottom line - professionally it would be an ethically questionable practice!

Send mail to ptork@rogers.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: 07/06/06