Trade names: Pine, Common Pine
Origin: Central, Northern and Eastern Europe
Range: Most used species for the production of veneer in Central Europe are the Common Pine (Pinus sylvestris) and in Southern Europe the Maritime Pine (Pinus pinaster). Known as veneer wood in the USA are primarily the Carolina Pine (either Pinus echinata or Pinus taeda) or the Oregon Pine (trade name for the Douglas Fir, although not actually a Pine species).
Uses: Sliced and peeled veneer. It is also used for doors, parquet, paneling and lining. Popular as solid wood for country-style furniture and rooms as well as for Scandinavian-style furniture.
Character: The heartwood is reddish-yellow to brownish-red and darkens in time. The distinct grain of pinewood is characterized by medium-brown annual rings, small irregularities and branch holes. Typical for the wood are irregular annual rings. The resin channels are visible in the pinewood with the naked eye, and fresh pinewood smells intensively of tree resin. It is easy and clean to work with all tools and its surface is unusually smooth for such a soft wood.
Particularities: The Pinewood is the most common species of tree in the world. Its subspecies are found from the Arctic Circle to the mountain regions in the tropics. In Germany, it grows to about 27% of the total forested area, while the spruce is found on about 32% of the forest area.