What is the 'tiger pattern' mentioned in solid wood product guides?

When examining the top surface of delivered solid wood furniture, you may encounter faint, silvery grain patterns that look like scratches or stains. These stripes are a phenomenon commonly referred to in woodworking as tiger marks, which are patterns formed when the medullary ray tissue that transported nutrients horizontally as the tree grew becomes visible on the surface. They appear particularly distinct when hard deciduous trees, such as oak, are cut perpendicular to their growth rings, and light reflects off them depending on the viewing angle so that they resemble tiger stripes.

It is not a defect. It is an inherent wood grain that stands out in dense and healthy solid wood cell structures. BY HEYDEY explains these tiger patterns as an inherent characteristic possessed by solid wood itself, just like knots, warping, and grain variations^[1][2]. Because it is not an artificial processing defect, it is not subject to exchange or refund, nor does it fall within the scope of after-sales repair support^[3][4].