I was nervous about going to the hardwood store for the first time. It was a mix of feelings between a kid going to Disney World and first day at a new school jitters. I was excited to see all the beautiful hardwoods to choose from. However I was more worried I would look foolish. That is what kept me from going to a hardwood store for a very long time. Although I love various hardwoods, actually going to the physical store was something I avoided. I would typically order smaller amounts online to make small woodworking projects. And that is still a great option that I will continue to do. But there is nothing like walking into that store, and experiencing the smells of the various wood species. And more importantly, getting to hand select the wood you want to use for your project. You get to choose the grain patterns you like best, the colors you like, and the sizes of wood you want. It was awesome!

One very important factor to going to the hardwood store is having the owner or employees take time to explain everything and put you at ease. Mark from Working the Grain Hardwoods did just that. He was patient and had a general interest in teaching me about the various species and terminology used. In fact, I am working on a workbench and only had a rough guess at the size I am wanting to build. Mark took he time to help me figure the amount of wood I would need for the bench and then allowed me to pick out the wood from his store.

Watch This Before Buying Hardwood