I got an order this week for a small table. 32" long, 14" wide and 24" high. The lady said her furniture in the room she was going to use it in was pecan. I don't have any pecan and don't know if I can find any. I was thinking of using White Oak and just stain it a darker color. She said it didn't have to match exactly but she did want it to be a dark color.

So any ideas? Will the WO Work or should I try to find something else?

John, not an expert on pecan but as I understand it pecan is often sold as or intermixed with hickory.

Read this it may help.

http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Pecan_vs_Hickory.html

Nope, pecan is not sold or intermixed with hickory Richard,lol.

Pecan is a fricken harder than Petrified wood with a grain very simular to white oak, chestnut (closest grain pattern), red oak and some type of south american wood that the name escapes me.

Go with the white oak, a good sanding sealer and matching stain.

Here's hickory

Here's pecan

Here's beech

Beech and pecan and white oak and chestnut have really close grain patterns and the lighter wood of beech and white oak will make the staining come out more even.

Well that's interesting. I've herd and read that many times. Just goes to show you don't believe every thing you read. Here's another link where they say it's sold intermixed

http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Pecan_Versus_Hickory_Wood.html

dragon1 said:

Nope, pecan is not sold or intermixed with hickory Richard,lol.

Pecan is a fricken harder than Petrified wood with a grain very simular to white oak, chestnut (closest grain pattern), red oak and some type of south american wood that the name escapes me.

Go with the white oak, a good sanding sealer and matching stain.

OK, I'm getting even more confused. I just looked up the "Hardwood lumber grading rules for Hickory and Pecan. It said "A National Hardwood Lumber Association Inspector will not

make any distinction in species between Hickory and Pecan."

I don't see why unless the inspectors need glasses, LOL

I don't know, to me, there's a WORLD of difference in the 2 woods.

Hickory is brittle, has darker color, more of a streak to it, and easier to cut than Pecan.

My parents went somewhere on one of our vacations and we picked up a pecan table 4 ft. across.

I believe the price (this was 1970)for the blank was 200 (big money then) and the cost to cut it was an extra 100 to cut it on a bandsaw into a round.

The guy had said he'd cut it for free but that was before he saw the one my parents picked out (he must have thought they wouldn't buy that pecan, LOL)

He still cut it but had to buy a new blade after that.

That table is still around and no damage to it in 40 years.

Maybe, they have their trees mixed up?

Of course, they are also grouping Butternut with walnut

Richard McComas said:

OK, I'm getting even more confused. I just looked up the "Hardwood lumber grading rules for Hickory and Pecan. It said "A National Hardwood Lumber Association Inspector will not
make any distinction in species between Hickory and Pecan."

I'm not saying you're wrong by any means. Do to what I've read over a fairly long period of time I though that when you buy hickory or pecan you could get a mix of both. Just for grins we could ask Keith Stephens what his take on this is.

of time

Nor I you!! But that might screw up alot of people if they get both woods and don't know the difference.

I mean, really, when was the last time you got two different woods and they matched?

Do me a favor while your up late, or on Sunday and see if you can contact him and ask him why?

I know I'd like to know!!!!!

Wow, I went to bed and you two had a full discussion on this.

I haven't read all of the links yet, but I thought hickory was considered a hard wood. It was used in tool handles and ax handles because it was so hard. At least that is what I thought.

I didn't think about it having a grain similar.

I will check back later and see what Keith has to say.

Thanks for all of the research. You guys are good.

See what happens when you sleep?

LOL

I sent Kieth this private message. I'll post a copy of his answer if/when I get it.

Hi Keith,

I have a question on how hickory and pecan are sold. I have read in several places on the internet that when one goes to a lumber yard and buys pecan or hickory you may actually be sold either hickory, pecan or a mixture of both.

I looked up the "Hardwood lumber grading rules for Hickory and Pecan. It said "A National Hardwood Lumber Association Inspector will not make any distinction in species between Hickory and Pecan."

Is this true or just internet misinformation?

Good deal Richard, I will be interested in what he has to say.

Thanks

Richard McComas said:

I sent Kieth this private message. I'll post a copy of his answer if/when I get it.

Hi Keith,

I have a question on how hickory and pecan are sold. I have read in several places on the internet that when one goes to a lumber yard and buys pecan or hickory you may actually be sold either hickory, pecan or a mixture of both.

I looked up the "Hardwood lumber grading rules for Hickory and Pecan. It said "A National Hardwood Lumber Association Inspector will not make any distinction in species between Hickory and Pecan."

Is this true or just internet misinformation?

ordered some hickory plywood years back for a job, when it came in it was labled on the ends as pecan. A woodworker would probably notice it right away,(as I did) but I highly doubt the regular folk on the street could tell the difference between the two. Both have the intermixed colors, brown, white/cream, and very dark brown.

Thanks Kenny, that is good information..

A few pics of the hickory cabinets I made for the laundry room, just to show the color varience, no stain was applied, just a water based poly.

Really nice looking cabinets Kenny. Those are great and I love that you left them natural.

I like that grain and I does look somewhat similar to pecan.

The cream colored wood DOES match the pecan pretty well but the brown stripes throughout sure don't.

Very pretty cabinets Kenny!!!

I also did a Hickory Kitchen about 6 years ago. The plywood I got was sold to me as hickory. It's very similar to what you have in your pictures. I distinctly remember the large white stripes like what's on the back side of door that's standing open.

I agree with Mike, nicely done kitchen.