Telling in thirty seconds
- The edge. On solid wood the grain continues from face to edge. On veneer the edge is an applied band whose pattern does not match.
- Mirrored grain. A perfectly symmetrical pattern either side of an axis indicates sliced and book-matched veneer.
- Weight. A veneered particleboard panel is heavy and dull; solid wood is lighter for its volume and sounds full.
- Underneath and behind. That is where nobody makes an effort.
What each allows
Solid wood can be repaired: sanding removes a deep scratch, a burn, a water ring. It moves with humidity — it must be allowed to, or it splits.
Veneer allows precious species over large surfaces without felling the equivalent tree, and gives stable surfaces that do not move. Thick veneer on a solid core is serious cabinetmaking.
What really matters is not the veneer but the substrate. Veneer on blockboard or plywood repairs and lasts. Veneer on particleboard swells at the first leak, and nothing saves it.
Finishes
Oil penetrates, is retouchable in patches, darkens over time. Varnish protects better but forms a film: when it scratches, the whole surface must be redone. Wax is beautiful and fragile.
For furniture meant to last thirty years, oil is almost always the better choice — because it allows local repair.
our piece on handmade objects sets out the other marks of genuinely good making.