38 SPRING 2020 / POPSCI.COM
get board
BYJOHN KENNEDY1 American chestnut
Carpenters once used
this hardwood for
everything from con-
struction to furniture.
That changed in the
early 1900s, when a
fungus decimated the
native population—but
you can still find choice
boards that have been
reclaimed from old
buildings or fallen trees.
2 Black cherry
Cabinetmakers prize
black cherry as one of
the finest all-around
materials for the job
because of its durability
and innate beauty. It
starts off as a light pink-
ish color and darkens to
a deep reddish-brown
over time. Many crafts-
people finish it with a
simple layer of clear coat.3 Tigerwood
The strength of this
strikingly striped lumber
makes it great for deck-
ing and other outdoor
applications. It’s natu-
rally resistant to rot, so
you don’t have to stain
it for protection, al-
though you can oil it
once a year to prevent it
from fading to a lacklus-
ter gray or silver color.4 Snakewood
Named for its visual
similarity to a serpent’s
skin, this rare South
American timber is one
of the hardest and
most expensive in the
world. Despite its den-
sity, it splinters easily,
so carpenters generally
use it for small spe-
cialty products like
violin bows.RANKED