Snakewood: Read the Outer Line Before the Grain

Snakewood’s dark grain makes you want to look closely. But when comparing materials, the first thing to take in is the outer line. Place log sections with their rounded surfaces intact beside elongated boards, and you can see that even the shapes of the surfaces holding the grain are different. Begin with the overall appearance of all four pieces, then shift your attention to their sides and end faces.

The Outer Line That Holds the Grain

The first log section has a relatively simple, elongated outline. In the photograph taken with it lying on its side, the rounded surface and end face are visible at the same time. The boundary between the two surfaces is easier to read than when viewing the piece standing upright. Dark lines continue along the brown surface, but their spacing and brightness do not repeat evenly, even within a single piece. Moving back and forth between the close-up grain and the overall shape makes the character of the surface clearer.

The second log section has a part that protrudes to one side. When standing upright, its curved outer line catches the eye first; when lying down, the undulation along its length becomes visible. The silhouettes of the two pieces are quite different, even though both are described as the same kind of log section. This is another reason to look at the outline before the grain when considering which part to use for an object.

With Boards, Look at the Surface and Edges Together

When you shift your attention to the elongated boards, square surfaces appear in place of the log section’s curves. After viewing the broad face from the front, check the end face to understand the relationship between length and thickness. A broad face appearing large in a photograph does not necessarily mean that the board is sufficiently thick. It helps to note the required dimensions in advance and compare them with the specifications in the product description.

The final board has a long, opened split. From the front, it appears parallel to a dark line, while toward the end face, the shape of the opened section is more distinct. Rather than passing over this split as if it were simply part of the grain, check how far it extends into the usable area. Because different shooting directions reveal different portions, it is best to review the overall and end-face photographs together.

The Order for Examining a Piece

Even when the product name lists the same material, Snakewood, the surface and outer contours of each piece are not identical. First check whether it is a log section or a board, what kind of outer line remains, and whether there are splits in the area you plan to use. Next, examine the close-up grain and compare the required dimensions. Following this order allows you to appreciate the striking grain without losing sight of the material’s overall form. The wood shown in the photographs is a record of an individual piece and may already have been sold.

SnakewoodExotic hardwoodsRed-brown with snakeskin figure