Tiger Maple

Also known as flamed maple, curly maple, ripple maple, fiddleback or tiger stripe. The tiger-eye effect is known as chatoyance, a feature of maple in which the growth of the wood fibers is distorted in an undulating pattern of wavy lines.

The special tiger-eye (chatoyance) is sometimes not visible until a stain/finish is applied. This is especially true for small items like knobs. The sanding process used during manufacturing tends to hinder the “special effects”, until the finish is applied.