Beech is an important and widely-used hardwood. Its hardness, wear-resistance, strength, and excellent bending capabilities, make this hardwood a mainstay for many skilled woodworkers. Depending on soil conditions, Beech can grow to very large sizes. The veneer tends to be slightly darker colored, as slicing the veneer usually requires the wood to be prepared with steam, which gives the wood the beautiful golden tone. Wave Mokume is another William Henry exclusive material (patent pending) that fuses traditional metal forging with modern fabricating technology. This alloy features copper, stainless steel, and pure iron in a 55 layer billet patterned with our undulating Wave. When highly polished and heat colored, the iron layers take on deep browns, purples, or blues according to temperature and quenching technique.