There are a couple different kinds of woods we know as “Lacewood”.

What most call Louro Faia (another trade name) – grows in the Northern and Central parts of South America.  Roupola brasiliensis and montana.  But there is also “Silky Oak” which grows in the mountainous, coastal ranges of Queensland Australia, Carduellia sublimis.

Regardless of which you are looking for, the characteristic of the wood will be the same.  Lacewood is known for it’s flake figure.  In this photo we see a pretty standard size and pretty standard look in terms of uniformity.  But, depending on where you are slicing from in the flitch, it can change – drastically, and not just side to side but up and down the length of the flitch too.

Some producers will even stop slicing at a point and turn the flitch in order to try and gain as much consistency in flake as possible.  Although a nice attempt at controlling nature, it’s a 50:50 in terms of what you get.  Other producers will produce the flitch all the way through and sort out the different looks yielded during slicing.

In our opinion, trying to control the look is less desirable than allowing the look to change across your elevations.  It can be a fun species to work with if you allow it to provide the solution.