# Regular vs SAP Hard Maple, Differences?



## Chrisj8221 (Aug 23, 2014)

So here in western canada good wood is either hard to find or really expensive. I went into a local "wood shop" and saw they had two types of maple listed. Eastern Hard Maple, Regular $3.5/bf or Eastern Hard Maple, SAP $6/bf. Just wondering what the difference between these two are - am I to assume the regular is refering to the "heartwood"? The store was way to busy and I did not have time to ask them.

Thanks in advance -

cj


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## jdh122 (Sep 8, 2010)

This seems a bit odd - in maple, unlike many other hardwoods, it's the sapwood that is desirable. The heartwood is rarely used in woodworking. I'd imagine that the regular, more expensive stuff is all uniform in color and the SAP contains some heartwood - maybe they keep the same terminology that they use for other woods where the heartwood is desirable and the sapwood is not.


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## Finn (May 26, 2010)

Canada? isn't that we, in the USA, get our wood?


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## LiveEdge (Dec 18, 2013)

Are you sure it wasn't SAB? Select and better? A higher grade and, thus, more expensive.


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

That blows my mind that wood would be so hard to come by in western Canada of all places. I too would guess that one is a higher grade, thus commanding a higher price.


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## Chrisj8221 (Aug 23, 2014)

SAB would make sense, but i just check again and it was SAP… guess I may have to go back in and ask and let everyone know.


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## WDHLT15 (Aug 15, 2011)

Sap grade is a clear grade of pine lumber, at least here in the Southern US. Also used to describe clear, export grade pine lumber.

http://www.putnamlumber.com/SYP_Rough_Sap.html


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

That's the way it is here in Ohio too.


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## josephf (Aug 29, 2012)

well i do not know everything about wood but my wood dealer has both those grades also .I have used both .the regular maple is common and that is about what i pay also[what op stated] .It is a beautiful wood ,easy to work with .
Hard maple on the other hand is HARD .Harder to cut ,nail and screw then oak .


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## Tony_S (Dec 16, 2009)

I've bought tens of thousands of bdft of hardwood lumber and never heard the term before?...did some digging.
Apparently it's not an 'actual' grading term, or at least a pretty lax grading term.

First link it's near the bottom under color sorting.

http://www.midwesthardwood.com/mh/hardwood-lumber/nhla-hardwood-lumber-grades

http://www.americanhardwood.org/products-grades/grading/colour-sorting/

http://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/wood/lumber-data-trends/Lumber-Terms-NHLA-Are-Challenged.html#sthash.AqRrlUyS.dpbs

It sounds like a pretty low grade. I guess it depends on what your looking for.


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## Chrisj8221 (Aug 23, 2014)

very helpful. i was not sure as they had some examples of the the higher costs maple, but had none on the floor of the more reasonable stuff. I just need it to build a replacement top for a bench in a mudroom to match maple cabinets - one of these "hidden" jobs that I am going to stain with a dark color so looking at ways to save some $

thanks all


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