Ash is a light colored, very grained wood much like red oak, but without the salmon color of red oak. It is hard and durable and machines well. The bold grain patterns tend to vary much from one board to the next, so do not expect an evenly grained finished product. One piece of lumber might have very straight grain on one end of the board and the other end will have all kinds of bold swirling grain patterns. It is a beautiful, readily available wood, but be prepared for a lot of bold grain.