Live Edge & Woodworking Glossary

Understanding the terminology used by sawyers and craftsmen is the first step in ensuring you get a high-quality piece. Here are the most important terms you'll encounter.

A - C

Bookmatching

The practice of matching two wood surfaces so that they mirror each other, like an open book. This is often done with adjacent slabs from the same log to create a symmetrical pattern for wide tables.

Butterfly Joinery (Bowtie)

An inset piece of wood shaped like a bowtie that is used to "stitch" together a split or crack in a slab. This prevents the split from widening over time and is a signature aesthetic mark of craftsmanship.

CITES

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. It's vital to ensure exotic woods aren't listed on CITES Appendix I or II. Parota is not CITES-listed and is considered a sustainable alternative.

D - F

Dehumidification Kiln

A climate-controlled chamber that slowly removes moisture from wood. Unlike solar kilns, these allow for precise control down to the 6-8% moisture level required for indoor furniture.

Figuring

Naturally occurring patterns in the wood grain that create a 3D effect (e.g., curly, bird’s-eye, or crotch grain). Figured slabs are rarer and typically carry a price premium.

Flatteing

The process of using a CNC machine or a manual router sled to ensure both sides of a raw slab are perfectly parallel and flat before sanding begins.

H - L

Heartwood

The older, harder, central core of a tree trunk. It is usually darker and more decay-resistant than the sapwood.

Kiln-Dried (KD)

Wood that has been dried in a kiln to a specific moisture content. For Texas furniture, this must be between 6% and 8%.

Live Edge

A style of furniture where the natural edge of the tree (underneath the bark) is left intact, showing the original geometry of the trunk.

M - S

Moisture Content (MC)

The weight of water in the wood compared to the weight of the wood itself. Measuring MC with a professional pin meter is the only way to verify a slab is ready for fabrication.

Sapwood

The younger, outer layers of the tree that transport water and nutrients. In species like Walnut and Parota, the sapwood is significantly lighter (creamy white) than the heartwood, creating a beautiful contrast on the live edge.

Slab

A thick, wide piece of wood cut lengthwise from a log. A "single slab" table uses one continuous board for the entire width.