Sycamore Tree-Tables

Sycamore is a light coloured wood with a sweet pleasant smell, hence it is favoured for wooden spoons. However it can take on a variety of features. It quickly spalts due to fungal infections, and a variety of darker colours develop, black line, orange and greenish tints.

An unusual feature of some sycamore wood is what is known as ripple-back, which you can see in the table top below. This wood is prized by guitar makers who use it for the backs of their instruments. As well as being an attractive feature, it is supposed to improve the resonance of the instrument. It is supposed to be caused by the waving around of trees in the wind causing the laying down of harder strenghening wood.