What is the difference between cherry wood and maple wood?
As far as the differences between maple and cherry: Maple is a very hard, tight-grained wood that tends to be light and even in color. While there are some grain variations, they are generally not significant. There can be small dark streaks of sapwood from time to time which are considered normal and not a cause for replacement (although I have had people insist that it was a defect!!). Cherry on the other hand tends to be a softer wood that varies significantly in color from almost white in some parts to darker brown and reddish in others. It is a bit softer than maple, and has distinct grain patterns running through it. It tends to darken up quite a few shades over time whereas maple will generally stay the same or darken only slightly. Many people prefer cherry as the grain and color variations can be quite beautiful. Generally if there is a stain/glaze applied to the cherry, it evens out the color for the most part.
