Slow Wood based in Italy have built up a wood library of over 2000 species. And it is available online for you to browse.
I also love some of their work in the Collections tab and must be a fabulous place to visit. I came across them in an article in the FT 'How to Spend It' - October 15th.
Of course, the Italians are not alone.
We have Sean Sutcliffe who co-founded Benchmark with Sir Thomas Conran and custodian of some 4700 year old bog oak dug up from a field in Cambridgeshire.
and John Makepeace and his fabulous 'Flow' chests
and I think that Paul is moonlighting here at http://www.pinchdesign.com !