For certain wood slab based projects the width desired can’t be accommodated with just a single solid slab. In this case, sometimes we have to bookmatch two wood slabs in order to create the perfect finished piece. In order to bookmatch slabs successfully you definitely have to have an eye for matching patterns and grains. Be it walnut, maple or a hickory slab for instance, they’re all going to have distinctive characteristics and traits that need to be perfectly matched.

When choosing wood slabs to bookmatch for our Buffalo based customers and beyond, we want to adjoining surfaces to, in essence, mirror each other. True to its name, you get the effect of having this “book” open before—but in wood slabs of course.

Bookmatching in Buffalo, NY: Wood Slabs Galore!

• The bookmatched slabs will most generally be two successive cuts from the same tree. Remember you’re looking for identical grain patterns. They have to create that mirror effect.

• Bookmatching will produce a different result then just a single solid slab. Certainly it’s a matter of preference, whether you want your wood table to be a solid slab or to have that bookmatched effect. Keep in mind though, in some instances, depending on the width required for your wood table, you may have to opt for bookmatched pieces or perhaps planks.

• As far as what species of wood…really you can do it with any type of slab. The more intricate the grain, the more interest the piece will have when finished. So “grainier” wood species such as oak for instance can end in some truly stunning pieces.

Live Edge Table & Island: Supplying Buffalo NY with Bookmatched Pieces