Hickory

SKU: WL-Hickory.
Category: .

Hickory

Hickory wood features dramatic colors due to the contrasting appearance of its heartwood and sapwood.  The colors on one board might range from white or blonde to a dark reddish-brown.  This variance and depth adds a lot of appeal to kitchens and surfaces.  The wood has a strong, flowing grain pattern even with straight grained wood.  Hickory with a wavy grain can add more ruggedness, accentuated by its naturally coarse texture.  It can also be found with knots, wormholes, burls, picks, and mineral streaks, providing a rustic appearance.  Hickory is a great choice if you want a natural look for your cabinets or flooring.  We source our Hickory from sustainable forests and harvesters in the United States.  We also hand select our lumber to provide the best surfaces for sophisticated interiors.  Hickory, when used the right way, can add a lot of character.

Hickory is one of the strongest and hardest woods native to the United States.  Its Janka hardness is 2,140 lbf, and has a density of 58 lb/ft³.  It is harder, denser, and stiffer than White Oak or Hard Maple.  It is often used when strength or shock-resistance is important.  The strength of Hickory is heavily influenced by the spacing of its growth rings.  Wood from faster growing trees, and wider spaced growth rings, is harder, stronger, and heavier than wood from slower growing trees where the rings are closer together.

The graining is varied and rich, ranging from straight grained to wavy and irregular.  Its color, which deepens and gets richer over time, ranges from whitish sapwood to a darker reddish-brown heartwood with darker streaks in various patterns.  We love Hickory with a straight grain and a quartersawn cut, but we also love Hickory with its many unique grain patterns, some that are better with a flat cut.  Hickory can be used for kitchens, bathrooms, interior cabinets, floors and walls, and veneers.

We hand select and carefully organize lumber and panels for our concept projects.  Because wood is a product of nature, no two pieces  are alike.  Hickory grown in different locations can result in wildly different looks.  Please stop by or order a sample to confirm the look you want.  When the right boards are chosen, and composed in the right way, hickory can be one of the most unique woods for interior cabinets and other surfaces.

 

Material

Wood

Wood Type

Hickory

Usage

Cabinets, Interior Floor, Interior Wall

Wood Color

Light Brown, Orange, Reddish Brown, White/Straw, Yellow/Gold

Wood Finish

Gloss, Matte

Wood Grain

Straight, Wavy

Wood Hardness

2,000 – 3,000 lbf

Wood Decay Resistance

Non-Durable, Perishable

bring your Interior to life with unique surfaces:

The finish materials you use for your interior surfaces can become some of the most important focal points.  Using a carefully selected wood for cabinets, interior floors, and other surfaces can add the unique tactile effect that exudes beauty, sophistication, and luxury.  Take advantage of our carefully curated wood options to introduce a new standard.

USES:

Hickory is a dynamic wood for high-end cabinets, flooring, wall surfaces, and trim.

Color Range

Hickory heartwood is light to medium brown, with lighter or darker rays, and sometimes a reddish tint.  The sapwood is much lighter, from white to a pale yellowish brown.  Many boards offer a contrasting sapwood and heartwood, creating a more rustic aesthetic.  Both colors will darken with age.

Hickory can exhibit strong color variation from board to board.  Hand selecting the lumber is important.

Grain & Visual Pattern:

Hickory’s grain variations allow for a wide range of visual patterns.  Its grain can be straight and refined, or wavy and even irregular with a rugged appearance.  It is close-grained with open, medium-sized pores.

Heavily patterned Hickory boards are best displayed through quartersawing.  There are widely varying patterns with Hickory, and different pattern depths, and purity of color.

Rustic Hickory can commonly be found with knots, worm holes and tracks, burls, pin holes, and mineral streaks.

The visual pattern in Hickory changes based on the grain type, the log and the cut, and the price of the Hickory lumber varies accordingly.  Figured and quartersawn boards are more expensive.  Hand selecting individual Hickory boards for your project is recommended to find your tailored look.

Texture and Finish:

Hickory wood has a smooth and even texture, making it easy to finish with a light brush or smooth sand.

Staining Hickory is not needed but is quite common.  Like most woods, it will darken over time with exposure to light.

Its color and grain can be displayed with a simple matte or gloss finish.  However, due to the many different grain and pattern anomalies found with different cuts, choosing the right Hickory boards for your project is recommended.

Environmental

Hickory is not listed in the CITES Appendices, or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

We source our Hickory boards from trees cultivated by environmentally responsible harvesters in the United States.  We believe when the building industry sources and manufactures building materials with sustainability in mind, we all live in a healthier world, and we want to do our part.

Workability:

Hickory is difficult to work with because it is so hard and dense.  However it is easy to glue, stain and finish — joints and glue-ups will remain intact.

Decay Resistance:

Hickory is rated as non-durable to perishable.  However, due to its hardness, density, and strength, it holds up very well over time when manufactured and finished properly.

Performance
TEST
U.S. Measurement
International measurement
Janka Hardness: 2,140 lbf 9,520 N
Average Dried Weight: 52 lb/ft³ 835 kg/m³
Modulus of Rupture: 20,100 lbf/in² 138.6 MPa
Elastic Modulus: 2,260,000 lbf/in² 15.59 GPa
Crushing Strength: 9,190 lbf/in² 63.4 MPa
Density: 37-58 lb/ft³ 830 kg/m³
Shrinkage: Radial: 7.2%; Tangental:11.5%; Volumetric: 17.9%
83%+ Clear:

We start with Select & Better graded lumber that is at least 83% clear on one side.

Kiln dried:

All of our wood is kiln dried and stored in a protected warehouse.

We store our wood as S4S, which stands for “surfaced on 4 sides.”  The boards have two flat and parallel faces and two flat and parallel edges.  The boards are first surfaced on both faces (S2S) with a planer, and receive a rip on both edges.

BULK Commercial Pricing

Because we have become known for our unique material selection, we do sell wood slabs to third parties.  If you are working on a large project and in need of large amounts or slabs, we can offer great pricing for bulk orders.  We can also finish the wood for your project.  However, our wood is hand selected for superior appearance and performance, so contact us to confirm availability and to receive a quote.

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