Hardwood Veneer

ANSI/HPVA defines veneer as "a thin sheet of wood, rotary cut, sliced, or sawed from a log, bolt or flitch." Columbia Forest Products is the largest manufacturer of rotary hardwood veneer in North America. Specializing in Northern Appalachian hardwoods, veneers from 1/28" to 1/42" in thickness are produced for both domestic and export markets.

Birch, red oak, maple, ash, poplar, cherry and other species of fancy veneer are supplied throughout the decorative plywood, furniture, cabinetry, door and profile-wrap industries.

Rotary Cut Veneers Entire log is peeled producing a continuous ribbon of veneer.
Plain Sliced Veneers Log is cut in half lengthwise. Each half is then sliced lengthwise producing a veneer with a unique grain pattern.
Rift Sliced Veneers Log is cut into quarters lengthwise then sliced at a 90-degree angle to the grain. This produces a fine pencil stripe effect. Both plain and rift sliced veneers are reserved for high-grade "fancy" panels.
Half Round Sliced Veneers This is a variation of rotary cutting. This effect results from the log being mounted off center in the lathe so only one side of the log is sliced at a time.
Quarter Sliced Veneers The quarter log is mounted so the growth rings strike the cutting knife at right angles. This produces a series of stripes in the veneer.

Whole Piece Veneers Continuous pieces of veneer peeled from a log using a rotary process.
Book Matched Veneers Every other strip of veneer is turned over. This produces a grain pattern that is matched at the veneer joint.
Slip Matched Veneers Each strip is laid out side by side (without turning over). This produces a repetitive pattern.
Spliced Veneers Composed of several pieces of veneer varying in width that are glued together to form a whole sheet. The way they are laid out determines the final look of the veneer.