There are many different types of Maple (Acer).
The wood has a fine grain and a very uniform structure. Its color ranges from almost white to a very light brown.
The hardness of the wood varies greatly between the different types. In America, there is even a classification system that distinguishes between “soft maple” and “hard maple” (hard maple).
In Europe, sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus) is mostly used. Its wood is dense and hard and can be worked very well. It is easy to carve and the surfaces can be smoothed to perfection. Sycamore maple is also very popular in musical instrument making because it has very good sound properties.
There are also Norway maple and field maple in Europe. Their wood is usually brownish with a grayish tinge, sometimes even said to have a slight pink color. It is not as decorative as the more commonly used lighter sycamore maple. The two are also much harder.
Sometimes people refer to “Canadian maple.” This usually means sugar maple (Acer saccharum).
Sugar maple grows in North America and Canada. Its wood is dense and hard and belongs to the hard maple category, in this particular case also sugar maple.
The late wood is reddish in color. The core is brown with a greenish tinge in places. The grain is straight and the wood has a simple structure; it is dense and fine-pored.