How shipwrights judged unfamiliar timber

How could shipwrights mix or select wood when local tree species were unfamiliar?

Experienced carpenters tested how the wood cut, seasoned, dried, and worked, used serviceable timber in an emergency, and replaced it with a better material when possible.

The ship's carpenter was a senior specialist whose judgment rested on working the material, not merely recognizing a species name. Carpenters assessed unfamiliar timber by cutting, seasoning, drying, and preparing it. At sea they could use any wood that met the immediate need, then replace it when a more suitable material became available.