In a world of filled with commodity wood, there remains a special niche for those lumbermen who deal in the finest grades of timber. The rarities of the wood world (the burls, the figured, the exotic, the delicate grained, the carefully seasoned) are reserved for the most exclusive wood projects and the most discriminating artisans.

Fine-hardwood dealer Rick Hearne travels the world locating these gems of nature. Once found, he ships these logs to his Pennsylvania lumber yard to be flitch-cut on the yard’s massive custom-built sawmill. Whether these trees are recovered from tropical hurricanes in South America, or salvaged from diseased trees that were felled on British estates, Rick always relishes the magic moment when he cuts them open to discover the beauty hidden within. In this video, Rick discusses how he can “read” trees (in this case, the English Wych Elm) in order to anticipate the potential secrets inside each log he purchases. For me, Rick’s enthusiasm for special woods was downright contagious. In this video, you too can experience the thrill of slicing open these massive gems of the forest. (4.5 Minute Woodworking Video)

Rick Hearne is President of Hearne Hardwoods in Oxford, Pennsylvania

Boston-based furniture designer and artisan John Reed Fox knows a great piece of wood when he sees it. It has stunning color and texture. It’s air-dried slowly and peacefully. And boards from the same log flitch are always available to make a perfect grain-matched set. But this is only half the story. John also looks for his choice of “correct” figure and required grain orientation, whether it be plain, rift, or quarter-sawn. Finding boards that meet these criteria requires focused attention.

In this video, get an inside look at how this master furniture maker collaborates with fine-hardwood dealers, Rick and Brian Hearne, to search from among Hearne Hardwood’s 1,000,000 board feet of top-grade hardwoods. The goal for Mr. Fox’s 700 mile buying trip: the perfect set of walnut boards. It’s John’s critical first step in crafting the highest-grade heirloom furniture. Learn the practical steps to how you too can select better wood for your next masterpiece. (5 Minute Woodworking Video)