Last Updated on May 26, 2026 by Sam Wood Worker
Species, figure, workability — and what you actually need to know before you buy
Pick up a quartersawn board of lacewood and hold it to the light. It doesn’t just show grain — it shows something that looks like someone pressed antique lace into the surface of the tree. There’s nothing else quite like it in the woodworking world.
But lacewood is also one of the most misunderstood materials out there. What species is it? Why does one board look completely different from the next? Why does flat-sawn stock look so dull? This guide answers all of that
What Is Lacewood?
Here’s the thing: lacewood is not a single species. It’s a trade name applied to several different trees that share one characteristic — when quartersawn, they produce a striking lace-like pattern of pale flecks against a reddish-brown background.
The main ones you’ll actually encounter:
Australian Lacewood (Cardwellia sublimis) — historically the benchmark. Finest figure, most consistent. Increasingly hard to source due to Australian export restrictions. When you find it, it’s exceptional.
Brazilian / South American Lacewood (Panopsis spp.) — the most widely available today. Originally planted as shade trees on coffee plantations. Smaller trees mean smaller boards, but the figure can be excellent.
Leopardwood (Roupala spp.) — frequently sold as lacewood and frequently confused with it. Darker, heavier, bolder pattern. More leopard spots than delicate lace. If the board is noticeably heavier and darker, you’re probably holding leopardwood.
London Plane / American Sycamore (Platanus spp.) — historically sold as lacewood in Britain and America. Similar ray figure but different in character. More subdued.
Always ask for the scientific name when buying. A good supplier will know it. If they can’t tell you, be cautious about what you’re actually getting.
Why It Looks the Way It Does
The lace pattern comes from medullary rays — bands of cells that run radially from the centre of the tree outward, like spokes on a wheel. In most timbers they’re invisible or barely visible. In lacewood, they’re enormous.
When the log is quartersawn — cut so the growth rings are roughly perpendicular to the board face — those rays are sliced across their full width and exposed as large, shimmering flecks. Up to two inches long in the best Australian material. Pale grey or silver against a warm reddish-brown background. That contrast is the lace effect.
Critical point: the figure only appears in quartersawn material. Flat-sawn lacewood looks completely ordinary. Dull, unremarkable, nothing special. This is why you almost never see flat-sawn lacewood sold commercially — there would be no point.
One thing worth knowing before you buy: lacewood trees often have a spiral growth pattern, which means quartersawing produces uneven results from one end of a log to the other. A board can show spectacular figure at one end and almost none at the other. Always inspect the full length of a board before committing to it.
Working With It — The Honest Version
Hardness: Lacewood (Panopsis) sits around 840 lbf Janka — roughly similar to black walnut. Not particularly hard, but the ray flecks are noticeably denser than the surrounding wood, which is what makes machining interesting.
Planing and tearout: This is the main challenge. The density difference between the ray flecks and surrounding tissue means the wood doesn’t respond uniformly to cutting tools. The result, if you’re careless, is tearout.
The fix: sharp blades, very fine passes, and work at a slight diagonal to the grain rather than straight along it. A drum sander is the safest way to thickness lacewood without tearout.
A random-orbit sander works well for final smoothing — but always finish with a flat sanding block, because the softer wood between the rays sands away faster and can leave a subtly rippled surface that only shows up after finishing.
Dust and allergies — take this seriously. Some people have significant allergic reactions to lacewood dust, particularly from Proteaceae family species. Reactions range from skin irritation to respiratory problems. It’s not universal, but it’s real. Proper dust mask (not a paper one), good extraction, long sleeves, wash up after. Try a small piece first if you have any history of wood dust sensitivity.
Gluing: No issues. Glues well with PVA, hide glue, or epoxy.
Finishing: Lacewood finishes beautifully. Oil finishes — Danish oil, hardwax oil, tung oil — bring out the warmth and let the figure read clearly. Water-based finishes work but may raise the grain; use a shellac sealer coat first. Always test on an offcut — the contrast between rays and background can shift unexpectedly with certain finishes, and the raw wood doesn’t always predict the finished result.
One heads-up: lacewood darkens noticeably with UV exposure. The reddish-pink of fresh wood deepens toward a richer reddish-brown over time. Not necessarily a bad thing, but factor it in.
What People Use It For
The entire value of lacewood is visual, so it gravitates toward applications where it can actually be seen.
Veneer is arguably its most important commercial use. Quartersawn lacewood veneer on cabinetry and decorative panels is where the material does some of its best work — and veneer makes the most efficient use of a timber that doesn’t always come in large clear sizes.
Furniture and cabinet doors are obvious fits. A lacewood panel adds drama to a piece that might otherwise be straightforward, and it pairs beautifully with plainer timbers used for structural elements.
Turning is a great entry point. Pen blanks and small turning blanks are affordable, and turned lacewood produces a different but equally striking pattern — circular cross-sections through the rays that you don’t see in flat work.
Guitar bodies and backs have embraced lacewood for obvious reasons. The quartersawn figure on a guitar is undeniable, and the acoustic properties are considered respectable for decorative-grade instrument work.
Inlay, marquetry, and knife handles are all natural fits. Small amounts go a long way as accent elements, particularly against darker timbers like walnut or ebony.
Lacewood vs. Similar Woods
Leopardwood — darker, heavier, bolder spots. Often sold as lacewood. If the board is noticeably weightier and the pattern is more widely spaced and dramatic, it’s probably leopardwood. Both are beautiful, but they’re genuinely different.
Quartersawn white oak — the Arts and Crafts choice. Large, shimmering rays but a completely different colour range and character. More architectural, less delicate.
Quartersawn sycamore / plane tree — the original “lacewood” in British furniture history. Subtler figure, more readily available, cheaper. Sometimes the quieter pattern is actually preferable for understated work.
Lacewood’s specific appeal is the combination of warm reddish colour, fine silver ray figure, and the sheer density of flecking when it’s perfectly quartersawn. Nothing else produces exactly that effect.
Price and Availability
South American Panopsis is the most accessible — reasonably priced, available from most specialist importers. Australian Cardwellia commands a premium and takes some tracking down.
For turning blanks and pen-sized stock, lacewood is genuinely affordable and a good way to experiment before spending serious money on larger boards. Wide, clear, well-figured boards get expensive quickly, and large panels are hard to find given the size limitations of South American trees.
Before you pay quartersawn prices, check the end grain. Growth rings should be close to perpendicular to the face. If they’re running at a shallow angle, the figure will be disappointing.
Common Questions
Why does flat-sawn lacewood look so dull? Because the whole visual appeal comes from the medullary rays, which only appear when the log is cut radially. Flat-sawing cuts through them tangentially and reveals almost nothing. Quartersawing is not optional — it’s the entire point of the wood.
Is lacewood sustainable? South American Panopsis species are not CITES-listed and are considered sustainably available. Australian species face export restrictions, which is why South American material dominates the market. Ask your supplier about origin.
Will it darken over time? Yes. Noticeably. The reddish-pink of fresh wood deepens to a richer reddish-brown with light exposure and age. Factor this in if you’re matching existing pieces.
Is it hard to work by hand? Moderately. Tearout during planing is the main challenge, but with sharp tools and diagonal passes it’s manageable. More attentive than walnut or cherry, but not difficult.
What’s the difference between lacewood and silky oak? Same wood, different markets. Cardwellia sublimis is called Northern Silky Oak in Australia and Australian Lacewood everywhere else. Neither name is botanically accurate — it’s not actually an oak.
Can it be used for flooring? Hardness is comparable to walnut, so technically yes. In practice, the cost and visually busy figure make it better suited to accent strips or feature panels rather than full floor coverage.
The Bottom Line
Once you know that “lacewood” covers multiple species, that the figure only appears in quartersawn stock, and that tearout during planing is the main thing to manage — you can work with it confidently.
The figure, when you get it right, stops people. Clients who’ve never heard of lacewood will ask what it is. Woodworkers who’ve seen plenty of timber will look twice.
Start small — a pen blank, a small turning, a test piece. Get the feel of how the rays respond to your tools and how the figure behaves under different finishes. Then, when you’re ready, use it somewhere it can really perform — a cabinet door, a guitar back, a panel that deserves more than ordinary material.
It’s not the easiest wood in the shop. But it might be the most photogenic.
