Exotic/Specialty Bed Wood

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Exotic and Specialty Bed Wood is now available to purchase from MAR-K

We have all types of bed wood from AFRICAN MAHOGANY to BLACK WALNUT. Choose from 11 different types of exotic bed wood. This exotic bed wood gives your truck floor the extra custom feature that you can't get anywhere else but MAR-K. Bed wood is ordered and custom made to fit your truck: GM, Ford or Dodge. We can also make it to fit custom beds as well. See our custom bed wood forms here.

This list contains items our vendor generally keeps in stock. The pictures below are general pictures, wood varies in color and grain from batch to batch and color can change after finishing. Other types of wood are available and can be purchased through our Vendor.



This exotic line requires additional time to process and orders will generally take 2-3 weeks. If you would like a species not listed, we can still have it quoted. A few species of wood are kept in stock at MAR-K and these are noted below. Woods we keep in stock generally have a turn around time of about a week.

If you are interested in exotic or specialty wood for you truck, please email us here.

Ash

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MAR-K Part # ASH

The Ash used by MAR-K is harvested from the Ohio River Valley Region. We have found this Ash lumber to have a medium texture, not nearly as soft as the Ash from the deep South, nor nearly as hard as the Ash from the Northern Regions. It has a nice white color, containing a small percentage of brown heartwood. Ash is available in lengths ranging from 4' to 16' in length. A particularly good buy in Ash is the #1 common 4'-6' lengths. This stock contains a very high percentage of clear stock. Ash is an open-grained hardwood, which works very well and is easily finished. Due to its white color Ash can be used for many of the white wash finishes and glazes.

Beech

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MAR-K Part # BEECH

European Beech wood is normally white, pale cream or pale brown and is steamed to relieve drying stresses while also bringing out a pinkish-red color. European Steamed Beech is easy to machine, nails and glues well and when sanded, stained and polished it produces and excellent smooth finish. This is a custom wood that MAR-K keeps in stock and the turnaround time is about a week.

Cherry

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MAR-K Part # CHERRY

Pennsylvania Cherry is the finest Cherry available in the world due to the unique growing environment. The Cherry from the Pennsylvania region has a pink to light pink heartwood with very little if any gum pockets. The sapwood is a white color, somewhat distinct from the heartwood. In the grading of Cherry lumber there are no requirements as to the percentage of heartwood and sapwood. Cherry has become extremely popular over the past couple years and has shown a marked increase in cost. Along with the increase in demand for fine cherry lumber we have seen a steady erosion in the quality of lumber available. This has been caused by the use of the high quality logs for veneering leaving a lesser quality log available for sawing into lumber. Another factor in the increase in cost and decrease in quality has been the restrictions placed on logging in the Allegheny National Forest. Cherry is recognized as one of the finest working hardwoods available. Cherry is used in fine architectural millwork, upper-end kitchen cabinetry, and fine quality furniture. The Pennsylvania Cherry does the best job of matching Cherry plywood in color. This is a custom wood that MAR-K keeps in stock and the turnaround time is about a week.

African Mahogany

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MAR-K Part # AFRICANMAHOG

African Mahogany as the name suggests is harvested out of Africa. The lumber varies in color from a light pink to reddish-brown to a tannish-brown color. African Mahogany is virtually clear, so the waste factor when using this wood is rather small. African Mahogany tends to have a fairly coarse grain due to the large size of its pores. African Mahogany machines well, with good sharp tooling and sands to a very smooth finish. African Mahogany is also available in a ribbon stripe grain. When the lumber is ribbon striped it is a bit harder to work with due to the grain reversal. African Mahogany seems to be increasing in use as we see a movement to the darker, richer colored woods. African Mahogany is used in many architectural millwork jobs, upper-end cabinetry, and high-end millwork in residences. This is a custom wood that MAR-K keeps in stock and the turnaround time is about a week.

Hard Maple

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MAR-K Part # HARDMAPLE

Northern Hard Maple is harvested from throughout the Eastern United States and Canada. The hard maple used by MAR-K is harvested from the Northern Midwest and Canada. Over the past several years the popularity of selected white Hard Maple has soared. The stock cut in the winter months from Canada and the Northern Midwest has consistently had the best bright white color. The stock from the Mid-Eastern States seems to have more of a manila color, as does the stock cut in the north during the warm weather. Hard Maple has white to light cream sapwood with a light pink to light reddish-brown heartwood. The lumber is very heavy and hard with a good uniform texture. Hard Maple finishes well and is excellent for painting. Hard Maple is used in the manufacture of many products, including gym floors, pin planks on pianos, bowling pins, bowling alley lanes, school furniture, kitchen cabinetry, high-end architectural millwork, paint grade cabinets, and paint grade mouldings.

Poplar

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MAR-K Part # POPLAR

The Poplar used by MAR-K is harvested from the Ohio River Valley region. The Poplar cut in this region offers the best combination of length and width, along with a good medium texture. Poplar has a white to cream colored sapwood, while the heartwood varies in color from a very light green to purple or even black. The grain pattern of Poplar is rather non-descript. Poplar often yields lumber with exceptional length and width. Poplar is one of the more versatile hardwoods. It is most commonly used as a paint grade material, however it can often be used as a Cherry, Walnut, or Birch substitute depending on the color and finish used. Poplar is very easy to work with and does take a finish well. Poplar is used in the manufacture of paint grade cabinetry, paint grade mouldings, furniture, and architectural millwork.

Quarter Sawn White Oak

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MAR-K Part # QTRSAWNWHITEOAK

Quarter Sawn White Oak refers to the special way the lumber is cut at the sawmill. Quarter Sawn White Oak will have a straight grain pattern with flakes running perpendicular to the grain. The flakes are much larger and more pronounced in the White Oak. This is a "Specialty" wood that MAR-K keeps in stock and the turnaround time is about a week.

Sapele

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MAR-K Part # SAPELE

Heartwood ranges in color from that of medium to a dark reddish- or purplish-brown. Sapwood is whitish or pale yellow, distinct. Fine texture and interlocked grain produces a narrow and uniform stripe pattern on quartered surfaces. It has a cedar-like scent when cut.The commercially important wood is reminiscent of mahogany, with a distinctive figure, typically applied where figure is important. It is sought after as flooring and cabinetry for its durability and beautiful graining. This is a custom wood that MAR-K keeps in stock and the turnaround time is about 2 weeks.

Walnut

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MAR-K Part # WALNUT

Walnut is found throughout the United States, but its commercial harvesting range is confined to the Midwestern States. The Walnut used by MAR-K is primarily harvested from Missouri, Iowa, and Indiana. Walnut has been viewed as the ultimate hardwood in the past. Anything made of Walnut has the connotation of being of the highest quality. The sapwood in Walnut is a white to very light gray color, while the heartwood varies from a light brown to almost black color. The Walnut stocked by MAR-K is steamed immediately after being cut. The steaming process is used in Walnut production to darken the sapwood and lessen the distinction between the heartwood and sapwood. Walnut is graded under a special set of rules developed by the National Hardwood Lumber Association. These rules take into consideration the uniqueness and availability of the resource. Walnut is used in the manufacture of architectural millwork, fine furniture, upper end cabinetry, and gunstocks. This is a "Specialty" wood that MAR-K keeps in stock and the turnaround time is about a week.

White Oak

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MAR-K Part # WHITEOAK

The Appalachian White Oak used by MAR-K is primarily harvested from Eastern Kentucky. We have found this White Oak to have the best combination of color and length. White Oak has a white to light tan sapwood with a tan to brown colored heartwood. One of the interesting features of White Oak is that its pores contain a substance called tyloses, which prevents water from seeping through the wood. In a straight or rift grain piece of Red Oak you can actually suck water through the pores, whereas a straight or rift grain piece of White Oak will not allow water to pass through. Another factor, which differentiates White Oak from Red Oak is the high amount of tannic acid contained in White Oak. The tannic acid in White Oak protects the wood from fungi and insects. White Oak is used in the manufacture of wine and whiskey barrels, kitchen cabinetry, fine furniture, and architectural millwork. White Oak offers a distinct advantage over Red Oak by not containing the pink tones when a white wash finish is being applied. White Oak machines well and finishes well. This is a "Specialty" wood that MAR-K keeps in stock and the turnaround time is about a week.

Yellow Cypress

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MAR-K Part # YELLOWCYPRES

Although Cypress is a softwood (conifer), it has traditionally been grouped with the hardwoods. Cypress is graded by the rules of the National Hardwood Lumber Association. The reasoning behind this seems to be the fact that Cypress tends to grow in areas along with hardwoods and is harvested at the same time. The Cypress used by MAR-K, is primarily harvested from the swampy areas of Western Tennessee, Eastern Arkansas, and Southeast Missouri. The popularity of Cypress is based on its natural decay resistance. Cypress can be used for many of the same products as Western Red Cedar and Redwood. Cypress is often used in doors, sash, and other millwork. Cypress can be easily painted and has excellent paint retention. The lumber has a distinct pronounced grain pattern, with a yellowish-red color. Pecky Cypress is Cypress that has been attacked by a fungus resulting in the pecks or pockets in the lumber. Pecky Cypress is often used where a rustic or textured look is desired.