A straight grain is a type of wood grain that features very few waves or curls and mostly runs in the same direction. The grain of wood referred to as a straight grain runs parallel to the tree axis and neither curls nor weaves. His type of wood grain is considerably stronger than woods with the other types of grain. Some woods with straight grain include hard maple, cedar, and cherry. Because the wood grain is unidirectional, it makes the wood easier to nail, drill and cut. While other grain types may result in wood with coarse and rough texture, woods with straight grain mostly have a smooth texture.

 

Woods with this type of grain is easy to carve but do not always give the unique appearance and beauty of coarse wood grain. Coarse grain might be tricky to manipulate, but the texture and waves can produce a surprising product, particularly while carving. The result may sometimes be a gorgeous piece of art, but many woodworkers prefer to persist with the reliability and predictability of woods with straight grain.