Jan 162020
In his new column in the January 2020 issue of Wood News, Bob Rummer discusses the appeal of natural materials and researches how grain and figure develop. All in an attempt to learn what it is that draws us to wooden surfaces?
Beyond the science and the woodworker’s knowledge of what wood grain means, there is something deeper. Psychologists and marketers have studied this for years. If we put two objects in front of someone (one plastic laminate and the other a nicely finished block of solid wood) and ask, “Which do you prefer?” – about 75% of people will say they prefer the real wood sample. This is called the “naturalness preference.”
I’m always fascinated how wood can stir emotions in people, both visually and tact-ally. There’s actually a lot of research being done to help predict what’s inside of a tree while it’s still in the ground. With the large cost difference between figured and unfigured wood, buyers are looking for any edge they can get. I just found where they’re trying to figure out why figure appears in Koa.