Curly Maple also known as Tiger Maple is prized for its striking, wavy grain that shimmers and changes with the light. This natural “curl” creates depth and movement that makes every piece truly one of a kind. Known for its strength, fine texture, and light creamy color, Curly Maple finishes beautifully and highlights figure without overpowering the design.
Our Curly Maple products are carefully selected for bold figure, clean grain, and structural integrity. Whether used for fine furniture, knife scales, musical instruments, turning blanks, or custom woodworking projects, Curly Maple delivers both visual impact and long-term durability.
Each piece showcases natural variation, ensuring no two items are ever the same—perfect for makers who want their work to stand out with elegance and character.
Curly (or tiger) figure happens when the tree’s wood fibers grow in a wavy, undulating pattern instead of straight. As the tree adds new growth rings each year, those fibers rise and dip back and forth. When the wood is cut and finished, light hits those waves differently, creating that famous 3D shimmer (called chatoyance).
Why does the grain go curly?
There isn’t one single cause, but it’s usually a mix of:
1. Genetic quirk
Some maple trees are simply wired to grow figured grain. That’s why curly maple can appear suddenly in one tree while the trees next to it are completely plain.
2. Growth stress
Wind, uneven terrain, leaning, competition for sunlight, or changes in moisture can cause the tree to constantly adjust as it grows. Those tiny adjustments bend the fibers over time.
3. Environmental factors
Temperature swings, soil conditions, and irregular growing seasons can contribute to uneven cell growth, increasing the chance of curl.
Why it’s rare
• You can’t see curl on the outside of the tree
• Most maple trees grow straight grain
• Even within one tree, curly figure may only appear in certain sections
That’s why figured maple is unpredictable and more valuable—it can’t be farmed or forced reliably.
