What does wood have to do with tiger skin?

With wild stripes that run at right angles to the annual rings, wood almost looks like a tiger skin. For one of our new collections, we specifically choose oak wood with this special characteristic. But where do these stripes come from?

In a rooted tree trunk, so-called wood rays (also called medullary rays) ensure the transport of nutrients and water from the inside to the outside. They are small channels that run from the core to the bark at different heights in the trunk.

Depending on how the tree is sawn for processing, these rays are cut and stand out as stripes on the individual wood leaves (veneers). They appear as differently shaped sections or lines. These medullary rays are also called mirrors and are used for decorative purposes in wood design. Depending on the surface colour, they can appear golden to almost black. We use these special veneers specifically for our exotic, unusual and delicate Tiger Grain collection.

More about the Tiger Grain collection