Crosscut Hardwoods is part of the Emerson Hardwood Group. They have the largest selection of hardwoods in Portland (or so they say). They have given themselves the nickname "the woodworkers's candy store." They have both domestic woods as well as exotic woods. They also have plywood, marine grade wood, veneers, and more. If you are looking for wood floors, cabinets, counters, or decks, this could be the place for you. I visited their showroom and got a wonderful introduction to their store and products. The company has been around since 1907 which is very impressive. They work with importers and they also have their own mill. The staff was wonderful in explaining the benefits or drawbacks of different kinds of trees for hardwood, as well as the pros and cons of engineered wood. I don't know that I am in the hardwood floor tax bracket quite yet, but I love seeing all of the options. I find showrooms like this to be quite inspirational regardless. It would be a dream to one day have a live edge wood slab and they have some wonderful large pieces for that. read more

See all

Nothing bad but a shout-out to whoever answered my call. I was seeking an exotic wood which they told me that they didn't stock but referred me to a competitor. That's enough for me to keep them in mind the next time I'm seeking wood for a project. read more

If you're looking for quality wood or specialty wood this is your place. Many options and helpful employees. read more

If you're a woodworker you will love this place. They stock nearly every species you can imagine.

Gabriel was super helpful and nice, thank you so much for your help today! Came by to get some plywood for my thesis project and getting the wood was very quick and easy, as well as fairly priced. read more

This store is carpentry porn. Amazing wood species and selctions. Prices--ugh wood is not cheap. On the higher end. I got some walnut for my desk top. Gives me pleasure every day. read more

Don't expect them to stand by their faulty products or provide a positive experience for customers. After shopping there for the last year, I will find another place for my purchases. Even if that means paying more or traveling further. The condescending staff is more than I can bear. read more

They seem to have a nice selection of various woods. The people I encountered were not unfriendly in any way but also not very amenable to someone with no experience in shopping for various woods. The best I received was pointed towards a location. read more

Best lumber store I've been to in Portland. High quality hardwoods, way better prices than big box stores, and if you need help they have a friendly staff to help you out. read more

We live in a Northwest wood land. Around us are softwood fir and hardwoods like soft alder, colorful Western walnut and gnarly bigleaf maple, with some of the most beautiful fiddleback, bird's eye and spalted patterns. This store has that, and East Coast American hardwoods, wood from Africa, South America and even Russia's famous Baltic birch plywood. It's an education in the beauty of trees from the inside. Their prices are inexpensive. If you are looking for wide or long boards, this is the place. They are the best place for specialty plywood, like A-A waterproof mahogany in long lengths. They also have mahogany bender board. They are the best retail source for veneer, and have a good selection of finishes. Compared to other Portland sources, they are not a specialty mill for local wood, nor an industrial wholesaler (they are the retail division of Emerson) or a full range wood crafter supply store. Their wood is sometimes rough sawn, or s2s - flat and parallel both sides. It's up to you to put a true edge on it. They have let me pick through a full pallet for the boards I needed. I've gotten 13 inch wide 5/4 Peruvian walnut for a reasonable price. Good company, good advice, great selection, good prices! read more

Unbelievable. We are long time customers. My husband went on New Year's Eve, drove 40 minutes to get there and arrived at 12:28pm. The doors were open and he went in. JP told him they were closed and couldn't help him. Really? If you were closed, why were the doors still open. And posted hours on Yelp are until 4pm. Bad business, guys!! We will buy elsewhere and spread the word on how unfriendly you are..... read more

Huge selection of lumber and sheet goods for any woodworking project. Their prices are better than Woodcrafters or Mr Plywood for many wood species and products, likely having to do with the scale of the operation. The staff have been always helpful for me and are happy to cut purchased boards down to fit in my vehicle for the trip home. Note that it is the "typical" lumberyard experience in that lumber is sold in a board-foot basis, thickness is in quarter inch dimensions like 4/4 5/4 8/4 etc. and finished sides are S2S/S3S/S4S. This is different than lumber sold at the big box home improvement stores (nominal sizes, e.g., 2x4, and linear foot basis) so be prepared. There is some signage at Crosscut that explains these things but it is good to know ahead of time what you are getting into. The slogan on their website is "the woodworker's candy store" and yes, that is an accurate statement. read more

Love this place! We have purchased a fair amount of wood here for our redesigned fireplace and accompanying bench seat and bookcase. The Bud also made some custom storm windows from wood we bought here. They carry not only basic project wood like oak and Douglas fir, but also much more exotic woods like zebra and purpleheart. They have milled lumber, and rough lumber. We came across a few thick, wide pieces that we considered for our mantle project. They also have a great selection of butcher block countertops here in varying thicknesses, wood type, and designs. Their bamboo countertop products are gorgeous. If you need wood, and you are sick of the "basic" selection at the big box stores, definitely make the trip out Front Avenue to Crosscut. Their customer service is terrific. They willingly and happily rip down plywood, and they are very careful with their measurements prior to cutting it for you. I realize there is something to be said for the convenience of some of the box stores, but they don't come close to the experience you have in a true wood shop such as this one. read more

Crosscut is the non-commercial part of the company. They sell fine wood in small quantities for those of us who like to convert cash into sawdust. I most recently went to get a thick cut hickory board so that I could make ax and other tool handles. I had a bit of a hard time finding the hickory among all the other wood that they stock. I asked and one of the guys working there walked me straight to what I wanted. They also sell wood for flooring, obscure plywood (like marine grade to make kayaks and other boats) and rare woods. read more

Along with the wide selection of hardwood and softwood species in various thicknesses, widths and milling stages (most boards have at least been planed so as to make the grain qualities easily visible), I love crosscut for their open floor and welcoming layout - boards in vertical bunches nestled into racks throughout, with just enough room for carts to navigate the aisles. The lumber is easy to sift through (please do consider putting it back in the rack when you've finished - a bit of woodworker's etiquette). If you don't find what you're seeking out front, chances are reasonable there is a reserve of it in the back. The staff are helpful and generally knowledgeable. You'll also find glues, finishes, dowels, veneer, a few tools, shorts (not the wearable variety, though), off-cuts and other odds/ends here. Prices are quite reasonable, and even better with a business account. read more

My husband and I have been wanting to make our own dining table for over a year now....but we've had a hard time finding the right type of wood. I didn't want something super high end and expensive...nor did I want something that might fall apart. We've been to a handful of lumber and reclaimed wood spots in portland....but just haven't found anything we liked, or the customer service was lacking. My husband did more research and said he wanted to check this place out. So we did. I went in thinking we were just going to look, then go home without anything---like always. But no...not this time. We didn't go home with just some ordinary cut lumber...we went home with a giant slab of wood. This place was pretty awesome. It had a variety of woods...much more than your typical chain hardware store. But honestly...it was the customer service that probably convinced us to buy. We looked at a few of the slabs that were in the main area...but wondered if there were more. One guy told us that there were more rough cuts...but that the two up front had been sanded down pretty well. We thought they were ok...but we were curious on what else they might have. So we went towards the back and started to admire one of the stacks. It was tucked behind and under some other wood, so it was kinda hard to see fully. There was a staff member in the back working/diligently moving things around and organizing (I think) ...and I believe my husband interupted him and asked what type of wood the slabs were... then started asking a few other questions on how to finish or seal the slab. The staff member was super friendly and answered our questions. It was nice....because we were kinda tired of other places that gave us stupid looks when we asked questions---sorry, we're not regular woodworking experts! Anyways, then he told us that if we needed help with going through the pile to take a look, one of the guys up front could help us. But rather than making us go up to the front ourselves....he used his walkie to let someone know we needed help. But in the end, he actually ended up moving all the side piles himself, and then helped us look at the different slabs. We found one that we liked...and decided to buy it. Then....when we were getting ready to load....the staff member measured the slab & helped us figure out the best way we might be able to transport it home safely. Honestly, if it weren't for that staff member, I don't know if we would have found or bought the slab. I will definitely be recommending this place to my friends who have have some projects in mind. read more

Crosscut Hardwoods - We didn't plan on buying a 10.5 foot slab for a table....but we went home with it! - Building Supplies Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I am a professional designer, builder, and woodworker. I am familiar with every, yup, every supplier of this sort in town. Crosscut is the very best in terms of stock selection, knowledgable staff, and price (helps if you're a contractor but still about 8% lower at their base price than their closest competitors for items I frequently purchase...). I have spent a lot of my customers money here, this is where I have come and will come back to get more materials for building my own kitchen cabinets, furniture and built-ins... read more

Crosscut has an impressive selection. The staff was super friendly, helped my load a big slab of Sapele, and gave me some great tips on finishing it with Osmo polyx oil. read more

Always in stock and has the hard to find hardwoods and plywoods u need. Assortment of stains, varnishes, tools and sundry woodworking goodies as well. Nice staff and helpful in sourcing something you need, even if they don't have it. Can cut to length and do minor Millwork too. read more

Great selection but be sure to load your own product. Or else you won't get what you paid for. Lesson learned. And the checkout guy in the Portland store is extremely condescending. read more

I am one of a number of custom acoustic guitar makers here in the Portland area, and I visit Crosscut regularly in search of guitar woods. My needs are particular (species, colors, grain orientation, etc.) and browsing the large bins of lumber allows me to sort and hand pick the best material for my work. The primary advantage for me is buying raw materials at the best price and largest quanitity as well as highest quality, and it is only fifteen minutes from my shop. What a great convenience! The folks working there could not be more helpful and knowledgeable and even go the extra mile and call me when something they think I might like comes in. They will also special order materials when necessary. Then there is the fun factor. All that lovely exotic lumber to rummage through is like Christmas every time. John G. read more