Proper woodworking is a very specialized skill set that isn’t all that common anymore. The tools to do proper woodworking can also cost a small fortune and take up a very large amount of space. The cost of good lumber from an actual lumber yard is also very high. You can’t make any good looking furniture that is going to last out of wood bought from Menards.

My dad used to do professional capentry and cabnetry. His woodshop takes up the entirety of a repurposed decent sized barn. The loft of his barn is full of old lumber that has been curing for several years. Most of the lumber he uses he has had to scrounge up from auctions just because most modern forestry methods don’t produce nearly as high quality of lumber. Modern forestry methods are far more efficient because the trees chosen grow faster and the cuts are more efficient but that also makes the wood weaker and the grain paterns less attractive. Old growth hardwoods are ideal for most woodworking. Generally modern forestry also rarely works with certain wood types because it isn’t economical to do so. Walnut is a beautiful wood but if you have ever seen a walnut tree then you know why it’s hard to make any decent planks out of one.