Bear Claws

Not to be mistaken for the pastry of the same name (unless one hasn’t yet had breakfast), in luthierie, bear claws are small, swirling irregularities in the grain-pattern of spruce, most visible in light-colored guitar tops. Usually a few inches in length and one to two inches in diameter, bear claws can be visually striking and add personality to an instrument. Bear claws got their name from loggers, who would peel back bark on the tree trunk to look for marks reminiscent of those made by a bear sharpening its claws.