Professional hardwood lumber buyers in the furniture and cabinetry industries would tell you that soft maple is one of the most versatile lumber species they use. It typically offers straight grain patterns, is easy to machine, sands nicely, holds edges firmly in joinery and takes stain well.
In the eastern United States, what we commonly call soft maple is mostly the combination of two maple species specifically named silver maple, (acer saccharinum), and red maple, (acer rubum). Soft maple grows abundantly throughout the Northern and Appalachian regions and therefore is a regularly manufactured hardwood in sawmills. This makes the selection and availability of soft maple regular and consistent.
Soft maple can be a very good general purpose hardwood. Besides furniture and cabinetry, we have also seen our customers request this species for various other applications mouldings, millwork, musical instruments, crates, wood-turning uses, doors and even sometimes flooring.
For those within the Baillie Group, we are fortunate to have several sawmills in close proximity to soft maple timber. For example in the New York and Pennsylvania region our hardwood concentration yards in Smyrna NY and Titusville PA, along with the Potter Lumber, Wagner Lumber and Double Aught sawmills are known to produce some of the best highly quality soft maple lumber products. And that goes the same for our Appalachian region facilities such as St. James and Superior Hardwoods.
Besides all the industry standard grades & thicknesses, we have consistently helped customers with specialty sorts of soft maple. Some of the regular custom sorts we have inventory include wormy soft maple, white 2 face soft maple, and figured or curly maple.
If you are looking for an alternate hardwood lumber supplier or a specific sort of soft maple contact us today. Also ask us about our 4/4 prime white and 4/4 1 common white soft maple! We might be able to help!
Tony Cimorelli
The Baillie Group