Which wood for a Chamonix F1 is better ... Teak or Maple?

[AtlantaTerry]

I have decided to buy a brand new Chamonix F1 camera from Hugo.

Which wood is better, Teak or Maple?

Thanks,
Terry

[richardman]

The photos from my Maple F1 is at least 10 times better than the teak model...

No seriously, what do you expect to hear? They are about the same weight, same hardness? So it's really a choice of colors?!!! I like mine, but god knows what color I ordered ;-) I don't remember!

[vinny]

Teakmaple

[mdarnton]

Teak has coarser fibers but it's more water resistant. Maple has finer, smoother texture. If I had to guess, in this application I'd pick maple.

[goamules]

Maple is very dense, white, and hard. You won't scratch it easily, if ever.

[Luis-F-S]

Mahogany

[Drew Wiley]

Depends on what specific kind of "teak" or "maple" is involved, and also how correctly it was cured before fabrication, then sealed afterwards. Otherwise, I'd call
it more of an aesthetic decision. Same goes for "mahogany", which would be lighter weight but more easily damaged; but gosh knows how many different kinds of
wood goes under that name. There just isn't much real pattern grade Honduras mahogany left in the world.

[Jac@stafford.net]

We drifted into discussing mahogany, but the question was 'teak or maple'.

As mentioned, the figuring of the particular sample is most important (to me) when choosing between maple and teak. Ordering blind is a risk. Teak would be my favorite, all things equal. Maple would be great if I could see the wood pieces and choose. Maple Burl is great. Our local mill won't let any but guild members choose.

[Drew Wiley]

Sorry, Garrett. Maple gets more than its share of scars too. You should see my kitchen floor, only a few years old. All A-grade maple I set myself; but there are the inevitable beauty scars of dropped pots n' pans, etc. My beloved Ries tripods have whacked all kinds of branches off the trail, been dropped off cliffs a couple times, and wear their scars like proud symbols of life experience. I was out in the howling coastal wind this past weekend with a huge 6x7 telephoto (any view cameras would have been a kite in such circumstances), attached to my Ries with a solid block of maple which I carefully distressed with faux scars before I sealed it with marine epoxy tinted with rust - to match my weatherbeaten Ries. I'm starting to look weatherbeaten myself, so why not? Maybe I should shut up,
cause it's getting apparent I'd vote for a maple Chamonix just to match everything.

[Dan O'Farrell]

In general, teak is a more structurally stable wood than maple ( I'm assuming sugar maple).