Veneer
One could probably say that Veneer to Marwood is as a seed to a tree. It’s where we came from and ultimately informs everything we do. It’s more than just our roots. It’s our origin story.
In woodworking, veneer refers to thin “slices” or “sheets” of natural wood that are generally less than 1/40” thick. These sheets of “raw veneer” have been shaved from a high-grade log using special equipment specifically designed for this purpose. If you’ve ever been to get a gyro and seen the rotating meat that is shaved to create a delicious treat, you’d have a pretty solid idea of what this looks like. Just turn it sideways. Yup. It’s really just like that. Just a bit bigger scale. We have pics to prove it, come check them out some time. Once in sheet form, veneer can go through a variety of stages until it reaches its final form of functional art.
ABOUT VENEER & USAGE DETAILS
Better think again if you’re still blanketly associating veneer with that cheap, prepackaged, “some assembly required” furniture. Wanting the exotic and high-end look of a grain or species but the dollar signs give you pause for a full slab, much less multiple slabs?
Then veneer is your friend!
Wood veneer is an excellent way to use exotic, high-end, hard to procure grains and species in a cost-effective and resourcefully-efficient way. You get all the bang for half the buck. As a bonus, you also get to rest assured knowing that you made the most of the tree it came from. Which means more trees still around for the future. Double bonus.
Dating back to ancient Egyptian times, veneer is an ancient art that was once used for ornate decoration on furniture & sarcophagi. Withstanding the test of time, veneer is still broadly used today as an alternative to wood slabs and an artform in its own right. Just search the word “marquetry” and your mind will be blown by the creations featuring this delicately beautiful wood product.
As with most wood products, you’re pretty much only limited by your imagination and patience. From wall paneling to furniture to marquetry, veneer has your back and will look good while it does.
The Process
While we may have moved away from the days of Marwood Manufacturing slicing our own veneer, we just can’t bear to fully part ways with the delicate beauty. On our end, we most commonly start with high quality “raw” veneer that we then press and often lay-up into exquisite “faces” that are large sheets of book-ended & butt-matched veneer. We then leave the rest of the transformation to the deft hands of our talented customers.