Grain, hardness, workability — and what each species is actually good at.
Choosing the right wood isn't just about colour — it's about grain, hardness, how it bends, how it takes glue and paint, and what it's actually good at. Here's a practical comparison of the species we mill, to help you pick the right one for your build.
A quick-reference guide for common ship model components.
| Species | Hull Planking | Deck Planking | Wales | Masts & Spars | Fittings & Trim | Carved Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swiss Pear | ||||||
| Castello Boxwood | ||||||
| Alaskan Yellow Cedar | ||||||
| Black Hornbeam | ||||||
| White European Maple |
A long-time favourite in model shipbuilding, Swiss Pear has a fine, even grain and a warm pinkish-cream tone that darkens slightly with age. It's medium-hard, stable once dried, and takes glue, paint and varnish with minimal preparation — making it a genuinely all-round choice that works just as well for hull planking and decking as it does for masts, spars and blocks. It's also increasingly used in luthiery for fingerboards and bridges.
Best for: Planking, decking, wales, masts and spars, fine detail work, general-purpose modelling, luthiery accents.
The benchmark wood for fine detail carving and precision parts. Castello Boxwood is dense, very fine-grained, and pale yellow — it holds crisp edges better than almost anything else we stock. It's also genuinely versatile: hard enough for masts and spars, fine enough for carving, and stable enough for planking and decking. It's more expensive than other species, but for builders who want one wood that handles nearly every part of the model, it's hard to beat.
Best for: Masts, spars, fittings, fine carving, planking, decking, wales — genuinely an all-rounder.
A lighter, softer wood with a pale yellow colour and a faint, pleasant scent. AYC is easy to cut and shape, and its straight, consistent grain makes it a flexible choice across the model — from hull and deck planking to wales, masts, spars and fittings. It bends very well, which makes it especially popular for wales and masts where the part will later be painted or stained over. It's genuinely difficult to source in Europe — we went to real lengths to bring it in.
Best for: Hull planking, deck planking, wales, masts and spars, fittings — a flexible, easy-working all-rounder.
Our ebony substitute — a naturally dense, very dark wood used wherever a model calls for black or near-black detail: trim, fittings, wales, and masts and spars. Many builders use it specifically to avoid painting or staining a part black — Black Hornbeam gives that look as the natural colour of the wood itself, rather than a finish applied over a lighter species. It's harder than the other species we carry, with a tighter width constraint (max 40 mm) due to how it's sourced. It's not typically used for hull or deck planking, where its colour and hardness work against it.
Best for: Parts that would otherwise need to be painted or stained black — wales, masts and spars, trim, fittings.
A clean, pale, almost white wood with a subtle, tight grain — popular for laser-cut work and detail pieces where a neutral, bright background is wanted. It also works well for deck planking where a light, neutral tone is desired, and is a good complement to darker species like Black Hornbeam when contrast is the goal.
Best for: Deck planking, laser cutting, detail work, light-toned contrast pieces.
If you're working from a kit or plan that specifies a particular wood, we're happy to advise on the closest match from what we stock — just get in touch with your build details.