Curly maple

Common Name(s): Curly maple, fiddleback maple, tiger maple, flamed maple, rippled maple

Botanical Designation: Not a distinct species of maple. Curly maple is considered a grain pattern that can be found in nearly all Acer species.

Distribution: Primarily temperate regions in the Northern Hemisphere

Average Dried Weight: 30.2 to 44.0 lbs/ft³ (485 to 705 kg/m³) depending on species

Janka Hardness: 700 to 1,450 lb_f (6,450 N) depending on species

Comments: Called curly maple because the ripples in the grain pattern create a three dimensional effect that appears as if the grain has “curled” along the length of the board. It’s also referred to as fiddleback maple, in reference to its historic use for the backs and sides of violins.

Curly maple figuring is similar to quilted maple, but curl is a primarily horizontal pattern perpendicular to the wood grain. Unlike quilted maple, curly maple is most pronounced when the board is quartersawn, and the curls usually become much less pronounced or absent in flatsawn sections of boards. It is not completely clear what environmental conditions (if any) cause this phenomenon, but there are different grades of curly maple, which greatly affect its price.

Generally the criteria for determining value is based upon:

• color (both uniformity and lightness—whiter is preferred),
• frequency of the curls (tight, closely-spaced curls are preferred), and
• intensity (more depth is preferred).

Prices can range from just slightly more expensive than regular maple for lower grades of curly maple, to many, many times higher for prices of the highest grades. However, curly maple tends to be one of the most economical hardwoods when compared to other figured woods.