I agree I am always sceptical of net shopping. I looked at some sycamore just now and found some beautiful wood for a resonable price. Still have to know how it finishes.
Sycamore is one of those names used for a variety of species, and this common usage can lead to confusion. The authors of the Encyclopedia of Wood try to make sense of the situation. “What the British call sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus), the Americans call maple, and what the Americans call sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) the British call lacewood. What the Australians, on the third hand, call maple (actually Queensland maple, Flidersia braleyana) is part of the satinwood family (rutaceae).”
I'm so confused.