American Cherry is a classic hardwood that you’ve probably used before. If not, you have almost certainly heard other woodworkers singing its praises. However, you may not know why so many people love using it.

In this short guide, we’re going to go over the specific benefits you get by using American Cherry over similar options such as Brazilian Cherry, Oak, or other popular hardwoods.

Let’s get started.

Strong and Durable

American Cherry is a medium-density hardwood. It has a fairly high tensile strength, a great load-bearing weight, and a decent amount of resistance against basic wear and tear. By no means is it as hard as a rock, but it’s more than strong enough to last for decades if you give it even a minimal amount of maintenance every once in a while.

Straight Closed-Grain Hardwood

With some hardwoods, the grain is so complicated and random that you’ll have difficulty cutting them without causing massive tear-outs. Even the most expensive woods suffer from this, and expert-level woodworkers often ruin expensive pieces of timber just trying to perform a basic cut.

American Cherry isn’t like that. Its closed-grain structure makes it easy for beginners and experts alike to perform a variety of cuts without destroying the wood or ruining its appearance.

Coloring

American Cherry has two dramatically different colors to it. Its sapwood is a light color that resembles more standard woods such as oak, but its heartwood is a subtle red. In some pieces, it can even look pinkish. This color variation works well for a large variety of projects, and it gives your finished results a natural beauty that few kinds of wood can mimic.

However, it can make it a little difficult to source specific colors of wood for uniform projects. So, be prepared to look for a high-quality source to ensure you’re getting uniform pieces.

Aging Capabilities

A key part of any rustic piece is its ability to age with grace. American Cherry provides that ability. As it is exposed to sunlight, American Cherry grows darker. This is most noticeable with the highly sought-after heartwood.

In the long run, this aging capability allows furniture and other rustic woodworking pieces to develop their character and grow with the end-user.

Price

Finally, the low price of American Cherry is one of its biggest benefits.

When you try to use a luxury wood such as mahogany, teak, or something else, you have to ensure that each of your cuts is perfect. If you mess up even slightly, you can waste a board that costs $20 or even as high as $40 with no chance to salvage it. That drives up your project costs dramatically.

American Cherry can cost as low as $2 per square foot, or as high as $8 per square foot. You still don’t want to waste it, but ruining a piece here and there isn’t going to double or triple your project costs. This makes American Cherry great for beginners to learn the art of woodworking, but it also provides pros with a cost-effective wood for experimental projects or projects they simply don’t want to spend a lot of money on.

Get American Cherry, Today

Do you have a project planned, but need a cost-effective wood with tons of character and performance benefits? Try American Cherry from Timber Source. We have the highest quality American Cherry at competitive prices!