Reviews for Alder Knotty 8/4 Lumber

This was my first oder from WS, I have to say they far exceeded my expectations with this alder variety. It's the knotty variety but looks great, ripped very good, and is overall consistent in appearance. Will be using fir guitar building, thanks WS.

I only needed a small piece to complete a project. The wood sent was just right. It came with one edge a little chamfered and with bark left on. But it was well oversized so easy to cut down to what I needed. Or I could have used that edge (quite pretty). I got to choose. That's thoughtful.

A book I have on hand tool woodworking recommended Alder for a learning wood, calling it "poor man's cherry". I found it perfect for learning to cut joints and make small boxes so far. The knots aren't as big as I thought they would be, and there is plenty of clear material in between them to work with. I picked it up earlier this year when 8/4 was going for $2.20 ish a bd/ft....another huge bonus. I was sort of shocked when I upgraded from construction lumber to "real" furniture wood on how expensive it can get. This is a good alternative, if you are still honing your skills and making frequent mistakes. I was surprised at how smooth and shiny this wood gets after using a smoothing plane on it. Much better looking than poplar, IMO, and cheaper, too. It does demand very sharp tools, which can help force you to develop good sharpening habits as well. I'll be buying more for sure. Also, one board was damaged in shipping and the folks here replaced it quickly and without anything more than a couple pictures. Great customer service!

Ordered hoping for the best. Got better than expected.

The 8/4 knotty alder lumber I received is excellent quality, and the thickness is very close to 1-15/16 inches. The planks I received look to be identical to the 8/4 knotty alder I've purchased at a local Denver supplier (Austin Hardwoods) before the coronavirus made that too risky. I expect to place further orders, but will save money by not having pieces cut to length or having one edge cut.

all 6' x 72" pcs were very straight, the 24" drops will be useful for smaller projects, I wish they had more knots, but "Custom" means using what is created by the Creator into my design- Nice selection, Very good quality of a "easy on tools" species