Veneer cuts and face assemblies play a role in natural wood’s finished appearance. As logs are sliced into veneer, each leaf has a tight side and a loose side. Compression of the natural grain occurs on the inner side (tight side) of the leaf as it passes over the knife. The outer side (loose side) reacts to the cut with a slight expansion of the grain.
When the veneer leaves are book matched — every other leaf is turned over — the cuts can reflect light differently and display stripes similar to a traditional barber pole. Adding finish to the veneer, such as stain, accentuates this phenomenon.
The resulting Barber Pole Effect, viewed as light and dark stripes across a door face, is not considered a manufacturing defect and is a natural occurrence in practically all cuts of wood veneer. The Barber Pole Effect can be minimized with proper sanding and finishing techniques and managed by switching to slip match faces.