American Sycamore
Sycamore is a wood where orientation is everything. Flat-sawn, it's a difficult-to-dry, high-movement wood with mediocre figure. Quarter-sawn, it's spectacular: the large medullary rays create a silver-fleck pattern that genuinely competes with exotic lacewood. Much of what's sold as 'lacewood' is actually quarter-sawn sycamore. If you're sourcing it, insist on quarter-sawn or plan to resaw it yourself. Finish simply — the figure does all the design work.
- Using flat-sawn boards — they cup and warp aggressively during and after drying
- Not letting it fully acclimate before working — it moves substantially
- Over-finishing — let the ray fleck speak; a simple oil or light topcoat is enough
Pale pinkish to reddish-brown heartwood, sometimes grayish. Quarter-sawn reveals dramatic silver ray fleck that is the wood's primary visual feature. Sapwood is pale and often used alongside heartwood.
Interlocked grain requires sharp tools and attention to grain direction to avoid tearout. Quarter-sawn orientation is critical — flat-sawn sycamore is notoriously difficult to dry and prone to cupping and movement. Quarter-sawn is sometimes sold as or alongside 'lacewood' for its decorative ray fleck.
| Region | Availability |
|---|---|
| North America | Regional / select dealers |
| Europe | Specialty importers only |
| South America | Rare / not commonly imported |
| Australia/NZ | Rare / not commonly imported |
| Asia | Rare / not commonly imported |
| Africa | Rare / not commonly imported |