# Help Identifying This wood



## Jacob Abel (Apr 29, 2018)

Hi all, 

I’ve been trying to figure out what wood grain pattern this looks like.

I’ve been told a couple different things, but what’s your take on it? Sorry I don’t have a super up close of it. But I can get one if I need to. 

Thank you for your help!


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## phinds (Apr 30, 2018)

What are you referring to ? It looks pretty ordinary to me.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Jacob Abel (Apr 30, 2018)

@phinds - Does this look like walnut or something else?

Thanks :)


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## phinds (Apr 30, 2018)

Walnut is a type of wood. You asked about the type of grain. Which do you want to know about?

It appears to be dyed so I have not idea what kind of wood it is.


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## barry richardson (Apr 30, 2018)

My guess is walnut. Walnut fades and over time it gets that reddish tint to it.....

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## Jacob Abel (Apr 30, 2018)

@barry richardson - Thanks man. That is helpful.

@phinds - In the mid century modern furniture world, this chair typically was either wrapped with a walnut veneer or a rosewood veneer. So I was just trying to affirm which one by asking everyone’s opinion on here. I thought it looked like walnut, I just wanted to see what you all had to say about it first.

Thanks to you both.


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## Palaswood (May 1, 2018)

I would say walnut yes.


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## Arn213 (May 2, 2018)

I’ve handled some real Eames Lounge Chair (Herman Miller) and they are “molded plywood/bent wood” construction out of 5 piece lam. (not sure when exactly the date where it transitioned to 3 plywood; modern version) in NYC- the earlier ones and before the pre-ban date in the beginning of 1990 were out of Brazilian rosewood (dalbergia nigra) veneer. After that embargo date they were available in palisander rosewood (Madagascar- very confusing because the word “palisander” is oftenly mistakenly used as a term towards Brazilian rosewood as well. If you had both species side by side, you can easily see why that can happen). There is confusion of the word Jacaranda rosewood as well that interchangeable used with Palisander. This is prevalent actually on Lafer made furniture from Brazil. The standard wood and glass furniture made by Lafer oftently is mistaken to be Brazilian rosewood- it is not and it is out of Pau ferro/Morado rosewood; the Brazilian version is called ironwood. The Eames Lounge Chair with the ottoman were mostly available in walnut. Vitra a Europe outfitter is the only one truly making it to vintage specifications. Nowadays, there are “knock offs” of this particular chair and this scenario is common on mid century era furniture.


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## Arn213 (May 2, 2018)

The really strange part to me on your photo is the headrest molded panel seems to be out of walnut veneer (it is 2 tone as it goes to brown into medium orange) and right below it is the back molded panel support appears to be cherry (mono tone; medium orange) that has been tinted to match the tonality of the headrest. Can’t tell what the seat base veneer is though.

Does the leather have tufted buttons and how many ply is the lounge chair? The original ones the back reclined without the use of adjustment mechanism.


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## phinds (May 2, 2018)

Arn213 said:


> ... very confusing because the word “palisander” is oftenly mistakenly used as a term towards Brazilian rosewood as well.


That's hardly even the beginning of it. There are at least 7 Dalbergias that use that name, along with 4 other species, each from different genera


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## phinds (May 2, 2018)

@Jacob Abel I changed the title of this thread to remove the word "grain" since you clearly are not asking what kind of grain the wood has but rather what the wood IS.


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## Mr. Peet (May 3, 2018)

I'm going with the common "birch" molded plywood with cherry stained base coat and walnut stained finish coat heat treated and buffed with "Butcher's wax" or equivalent paste....


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