Woodworkers often have a list of the woods they consider to be of the highest quality, either for durability, aesthetics or value for money.
However, the most expensive woods are not always necessarily the best for each project and, in addition, there may be better and less expensive alternatives.
That is why in this article we want to compare the species that are considered “the best” and those that may not be as well known or appreciated but that can do a job of equal or even superior quality.
5 overpriced kinds of wood and their alternative
First of all, any solid or natural wood is of good quality, therefore, we don’t mean that any of the species mentioned here are not worth it.
We simply want you to know which woods to use if, for example, your budget is not enough for any of the woods we are going to expose.
Also, this list has no descending or ascending order, meaning that no wood is more overrated than the others.
Note: the use of spp indicates that we are talking about a whole botanical family and not about a specific species.
For example “Quercus spp” refers to all subspecies of Oak, whether European, white or red (the latter two come from America).
That said, we can begin.
1. Oakwood
Scientific name
Quercus spp.
Why is Oak a good wood?
Oak wood is perhaps the best price-quality ratio wood that exists; it is abundant, easy to work, very resistant and aesthetically beautiful.
Why is it an overpriced wood?
Let’s clarify something, oak wood is overvalued in luxury applications. That is, if you are looking for exclusive wood pieces, oak is not the best option since it is abundant wood that can be found everywhere.
What alternatives do you have?
On the contrary, woods such as Cherry or Ash (both of European or American origin) are finer and certainly, their appearance is much more attractive from an aesthetic point of view.
However, the prices of these 2 kinds of wood are higher, although not too much in relation to Oak.
On the other hand, if you are looking for general use and you don’t care about luxury, then you should get wood such as Pine. Although it is not the finest wood, it is a reliable and good quality material that can be used for almost everything and it is also much more economical.
2. Ebony Wood
Scientific name
Diospyros spp.
Why is it a good wood?
Ebony wood is of African origin.
This tropical wood is known worldwide for being one of the finest, most durable and dense, making it one of the most expensive woods on the market.
In addition, its characteristic dark color (brown almost black) makes it very striking.
Why is it an overpriced wood?
Curiously, as well as its color is one of its main attractions, it is also one of its main disadvantages. Many times, lower-quality woods are used and dyed to pass them off as genuine ebony.
The reality is that, although it is very beautiful, Ebony wood is only useful for certain purposes such as the elaboration of small or very detailed pieces such as handicrafts or some pieces for musical instruments.
Thus, in larger or less worked pieces, this wood can have an appearance very similar to plastic, which clearly reduces its attractiveness.
On the other hand, it is worth mentioning that ebony wood is very scarce as a threatened species due to a marked decrease in the number of existing specimens.
All this is due to indiscriminate logging and the deterioration of the tree’s natural habitat.
Then, unfortunately, the scarcity of ebony has been used to give an idea of mysticism around this wood.
That is, because it is scarce and is such a unique-looking wood, people who are not knowledgeable often assume that it is better than others and so are willing to pay more money for it.
What alternatives do you have?
You can use wood such as Wenge, another African wood that is not as dark (although it does look similar), but is of similar quality and relatively cheaper, as it is more readily available on the market.
3. Bamboo Wood
Scientific name
Bambusa spp.
Why is it a good wood?
In recent years the consumption of bamboo has increased significantly, especially for construction purposes.
In addition, due to its sustainable cultivation in plantations, it has become a good environmentally friendly option.
Why is it an overpriced wood?
First of all, bamboo itself is not a tree but rather a non-tree plant (common plant).
It is not really wood; Bamboo is just used mixed with wood for the manufacture of boards and flooring.
In addition, bamboo can be economical in areas where it is very abundant (Southeast Asia) and, therefore, it is given various applications such as the construction of doors, window frames, and fences.
However, when it is used for timber purposes, i.e. when it has been mixed with other woods to make plywood, its value can increase so much that it exceeds the price of local woods from other countries.
Not to mention that it is not really as resistant to moisture and weathering as you might think.
Well, some natural woods are much more resistant to moisture than bamboo which tends to deteriorate over time until it is exposed to fungal and insect attacks.
What alternatives do you have?
Again, we want to clarify that we are not against the use of any of these woods but in this case, we do recommend using real wood, especially if you plan to do outdoor projects.
Depending on your budget, you can use woods such as Teak which is probably the most naturally durable wood on the market.
Its only problem: it is quite expensive, although it is worth it.
However, don’t worry, there are cheaper alternatives to Teak that also provide very good quality to the work, as is the case of Iroko wood.
Iroko is a tropical wood native to Africa that in general terms has almost the same durability as teak at a lower price.
Camaru wood, a natural species from South America, can also be used as an economical, yet an efficient replacement for more expensive woods such as Teak.
4. Maple wood
Scientific name
Acer spp.
Why is it a good wood?
The Maple family includes several sub-species; many of them are used in the elaboration of syrup used as a seasoning in food.
As for its wood, this botanical family can have softwoods and hardwoods, being hardwoods those that can provide a better quality in the works.
Thus, Acer nigrum (black maple) is perhaps the best quality, as it is easy to work with and can be used in various applications, from flooring to musical instruments.
Why is it an overpriced wood?
Several subspecies of the Maple family tend to have a pattern of stains that some people find striking.
But what many of these people don’t know is that these stains are the result of a pest infestation: the ambrosial beetle.
How does the beetle act?
This beetle has a symbiotic relationship with the ragweed fungus. It bores into the wood of the Maple trunk and manages to create tunnels inside the tree.
In this way, the fungus is able to establish and then begins to decompose the wood on which it feeds.
This decay of the wood causes the stain pattern and discoloration.
Therefore, although the wood may have a particular appearance, it is not natural. It is in fact produced by a pest and this implies that even if you buy a piece that no longer has fungus or beetles, you will have to work twice as hard.
You will have to repair the holes made by the beetle.
Note: this doesn’t happen with all the woods of the Maple family, only some of them.
What alternatives do you have?
If you want to use maple wood, try as hard as you can to obtain black maple (Acer nigrum) or red maple, which, although not having any special design pattern, are more resistant to pests.
You can also look for woods with patterns of lines or stains, either natural or stain-based.
5. Koa wood (Hawaiian Koa)
Scientific name
Acacia koa.
Why is it a good wood?
Koa wood is native to Hawaii and is characterized by being aesthetically very attractive.
In fact, some people compare it to Mahogany (one of the finest and most attractive woods in the world).
Likewise, Koa wood is easy to process. However, those pieces with a very marked design, i.e., natural lines and patterns, can be more difficult to work as they tend to crack.
In addition, Koa wood is widely used in furniture production (cabinetmaking), musical instrument making, and the construction of boats such as canoes.
Why is Koa wood overvalued?
Primarily because it is quite expensive, especially if we take into account that it must almost always be treated. Its natural durability is low and it doesn’t resist humidity or termite attack.
On the other hand, the high price is because it is getting more and more difficult to find wood from a mature tree. In other words, nowadays most of the wood is extracted from immature trees and therefore the quality decreases.
This is mainly caused by the fact that agriculture is becoming more and more prevalent in the archipelago (Hawaii) and, for that reason, large areas of forest are cut down.
So, the number of good-quality trees is decreasing.
What alternatives do you have?
You can use the wood of black Acacia, also known as Tasmanian blackwood.
After treatment, this wood can give an appearance very similar or even superior to that of Koa wood.
In addition, black Acacia wood has a natural durability superior to Koa and can be used for the same uses as Koa.
In terms of price, it is usually less expensive than Koa and is more readily available on the market.
Final recommendation
In general, solid woods are very good, whether coniferous, hardwood or tropical. The latter are very expensive as they have great structural quality and aesthetic beauty.
In fact, almost without exception we can say that all tropical woods are fine woods and, therefore, the best.
However, if you are not a connoisseur, always seek advice from someone who does know about wood. This can save you a lot of money.
If you don’t know what wood to choose, you may be impressed by things like the color of the wood or its smell and end up buying a good and very expensive wood, when you could have bought a much cheaper one of the same or almost the same quality.
Perhaps the best recommendation we can give you is: don’t let yourself be impressed by the appearance of the wood, especially by its color.
This is important because, for example, wood with violet or purple tones, as well as reddish ones, do not tend to keep their color for more than a few years, as long as they are indoors.
After that time they need to be stained.
So if you are looking for wood to be used in a conventional way, let’s say to make a table, it is not worth buying a super expensive wood such as Mahogany or Cedar if your budget is not very high.
Instead, it may be a good option to use woods such as Pine, Spruce or Maple and invest some extra money (not much) in staining, since you will most likely get a very good and beautiful piece for less cost.
Of course, if you have a lot of money to spend and can afford very fine wood, then you might be interested in this article: the 9 most expensive kinds of wood in the world.