| Name | European Beech (Fagus sylvatica) |
| Type | Hardwood. |
| Other Names | Also known as English beech, Carpathian beech, Danish beech, and others according to country of origin. |
| Sources | Grows in Europe and southeast Asia. |
| Appearance | Generally straight grained with broad rays, and fine, even texture. Pale cream to pinkish brown heartwood that darkens to a pale reddish brown. |
| Physical Props | Hard and heavy, with high bending and crushing strength and moderately high stiffness and shock resistance. Poor dimensional stability and decay resistance. |
| Working Props | Machines well but can be difficult to work by hand. Tends to split – pre-drilling recommended for screws and nails. Stains and finishes well. Exceptionally good for steam bending. |
| Uses | Possibly the most popular general purpose furniture wood. Also ideal for food containers, baskets, utensils, and bread/butcher boards because it does not impart taste or odor to food. Also used for chairs, handles, flooring, turned articles, cooperage, musical instruments, clothes pins, workbench tops, tool handles, novelties, core stock and decorative veneers. |
