Birdseye maple is one of the rarest lumbers on the planet. Only one in perhaps 500 hard maple trees will exhibit this pattern. Birdseye is named for its unmistakable tiny swirls that resemble the look of a bird’s eye. Birdseye is not a variety or a species of tree that can be planted and raised but rather it is a phenomenon that occurs within the tree from an unknown cause. Furniture is one of the many uses for Birdseye Maple and Penny Mustard provides Beds, Chests, Dressers, Nightstands, Armoires, End Tables, Coffee Tables, and so much more made from that species of lumber.
Many hypothesize as to what causes the Birdseye effect and have come up with ideas like fungal or viral infection, genetic mutation, climate change, soil conditions, growth history, or some mysterious element. Being able to cultivate Birdseye, in maple trees would be a valuable commodity, hence many researchers and arborists vigorously study the mysterious phenomena. So far, they have not been able to answer what really causes it and no one has successfully been able to produce it.
Hard maple trees that grow in the Great Lakes region yield the largest Birdseye Maple supply. Most Birdseye is hidden under the bark’s surface and there is no sure way of knowing if it is Birdseye or not until you fell the tree and cut it apart. Sought after world wide, Birdseye Maple has been used in many specialty applications such as the dashboard of a Rolls Royce, wooden jewelry boxes, guitars, violins, mantels, and humidors just to name a few. Woodworks agree that the Birdseye maple is extremely durable, very stable, and resists scratches and dents extremely well, and is an all around pleasure to work with.
Currently, Birdseye Maple boards are several times more expensive than normal maple boards. The future of Birdseye is unknown, and many presume that in a decade or two the demand for Birdseye will exceed the supply. Getting any at all will become next to impossible or if available, only for the very few that will be able to afford it.
