The chief  purpose in overlaying wood, first practiced by the ancients and later by artisans of the 18th and 19th centuries, is to produce a surface of beauty over a less aesthetic surface. Modern hardwood plywood is a mixture of  the aesthetic and the functional. A distinct decorative effects and at the same time, be very useful- wall panels and furniture exemplify this characteristic. The inherent  property of veneer cutting is such that full-size sheets of valued woods ( i.e. Mahogany, Cherry,  Walnut) can be obtained, whereas producing such sheets by other methods would be either impossible or too costly. 

Plywood has many structural advantages. Wood is Stronger along the grain than it is across the grain. by alternating the direction of the  grain 90 degrees with each successive wood layer or ply, the strength  properties are equalized. pound for pound, plywood has been proven to be stronger than steel.

A property of wood familiar to all is the ease with which it splits along the grain, an example of this is the method of cutting firewood with  an ax or hatchet; also, nearly everyone has seen wood split from nailing. crossing layers of wood, as in plywood construction, reduces this tendency so that splitting is not a problem. 

The cross-layering  concept  of  plywood  creates a more stable  product. With  changes in moisture content of the wood  from its wet (green) condition  to a  completely dry state, it is possible for some woods to change dimension  up to 12% or more across-the grain dimensional change  along the grain is only 1%. In Plywood, this across-the grain dimensional change is greatly neutralized so that the maximum potential dimensional  change of plywood in any of the two dimensions (across the grain and with the grain) is rarely over 1% to 2%.

Plywood manufacturing achieves a more complete utilization of the log than does lumber  manufacturing. This is particularly true when comparing the yield of rotary cut veneer with lumber. No sawdust results from either rotary cutting or slicing which are the two usual methods of cutting veneer.

A great  variety of products in various sizes and shapes can be manufactured. Because plywood can be bent or formed, there is a multitude of curved plywood possibilities. chair backs and seats, domes, bowling alley channels, boat hulls and furniture parts are just a few of curved plywood products.