Oak
The heartwood of oak has a yellowish-brown to dark brown colour and contrasts strikingly with the 25-50 mm sapwood. Quarter-sawn wood displays characteristic shiny surfaces caused by the broad rays. The wood is ring-porous, which produces a 'flame’ pattern on the flat plane. Structure and quality can vary depending on the tree’s growing conditions. For example, Slavonic oak grows gradually and evenly, has a straight grain and a smooth tint and is soft and easy to work. Oak from Poland is tougher and harder. Inland oak is usually harder, heavier, denser and stronger than imported oak, but it is usually also coarser. Oak contains high levels of tannin, which makes metals corrode faster when they come into contact with the wood.

Bubinga
The heartwood of bubinga is pink, pinkish-red to reddish-brown, with purple veins that resemble a line drawing on the quartered plane and a flame pattern on the flat plane. When exposed to light it darkens, which makes the lines less noticeable. The most beautiful wood, called 'kevazingo', comes from Gabon. The sapwood is whitish and approximately 60 mm wide.

Aniegré
Aniegré is greyish-white to pinkish-brown and has almost no noticeable colour difference between the sapwood and heartwood. The lumber trade differentiates between light (blanc) and pinkish-brown (rouge) wood.

Ebony
Ceylon ebony is black, with the occasional irregular light-brown lines. Other species of ebony may also display these light coloured lines. Andaman ebony has a striking contrast between the black heartwood and the yellowish-white sapwood with its occasional black stripes. Ebony is strong and hard, although the black heartwood is more brittle than the lighter sapwood.

Cherry
1. The decoratively veined heartwood, which progresses from yellowish-brown to reddish-brown with green lines, barely contrasts with the narrow, lighter coloured sapwood. The hardness and the mass of the wood can vary widely
2. Light to dark reddish brown. A typical flaw is the small black sap channels, especially in American cherry.

Mutenye
Mutenye is often compared to Walnut or Teak. This is not that far off, as there are a few similarities. The heartwood of Mutenye is yellowish-brown to a deep dark brown. The whimsical patterns of lines and flames strongly accentuate the wood’s dark colour.  The wood has a natural light sheen. The sapwood is yellowish-grey, and when exposed to light it can develop a greyish film that explains the comparison to Teak.
Mutenye is very hard, which makes it an excellent replacement for the much softer walnut.
Depending on the supplier, the wood can be purchased in various formats and is sold standard with a tongue and groove joint. Mutenye lends itself well to treatment with paint, oil or wax. Clear wax will increase the contrast in the wood.

Aluminium
Aluminium can take quite a bit of stress, is easy to weld and there are many construction and finishing techniques available. Painting aluminium will beautify the surface while offering additional protection.

Brass
Humans have been using brass since prehistory, long before the metal zinc was discovered. It was made by melting copper together with calamite, a zinc ore. During this process, the zinc in the calamite fused directly with the copper. Pure zinc is too reactive to produce using this ancient technique.

Leather
Leather is an animal skin which has been tanned in order to preserve it. Early on in our history, humans discovered that leather can make life more pleasant, and is irreplaceable with any other material. Only a natural product like leather can be so attractive, multifaceted and practical.
Every animal, and therefore every piece of leather, is different and unique.