That's a beauty, Mr. Furman.
In the absence of a distinct feather, I prefer the mineral lines to curl downward in the butt, as in these....
And I prefer the feather to radiate down and back from the comb's nose, which creates a bit of dilemma since they usually run counter to each other. So, if the feather really dominates the figure, I have to accept the upswept mineral lines....
It's purely personal preference, but those directions and flows just seem natural to me. The backsweep and downcurl just look right, like the flames on a '57 Chevy, they wouldn't be just right if they were reversed.
Figure is a broad term that encompasses all of the characteristics that go into the formation of a wood's appearance. Grain is just one of those characteristics and it is limited to things directly and specifically related to tree growth rings and pores.
This is the grain flow...which in this case is also figure because of the dark black mineral lines that follow the grain.It's possible to have this exact same grain flow without the distinct dark lines which give it "figure."
And this is the "feather" (because it resembles one) and it is usually found in the "crotch" or junction of a major branch with the main trunk. The feather is purely figure; consisting of highlights created by interlocking or wavy grain structure.
