What types of wood are suitable for awards and plaques?

There are various wood types that work well for awards, depending on the personalization that will be worked into the award. If a plate is used, or the wood part of the award is a base, then walnut is a popular choice. Alder is a great option along with cherry and maple because the engraving or personalization pops. Mixing different wood types or using other substrates can give the piece a good dimensional quality when inlayed into a wood plaque or base.

Many people also want recycled or renewable resources. Different wood species can meet this requirement. Blue Pine, for example, is one of the trees being killed by the Pine Beetle. The result is a beautiful, uniquely blue-stained pine wood. We consider this wood not just recycled or renewable but reclaimed as it is harvested off the forest floor after it has already fallen.

-Shawna Flikkema, Colorado Heirloom