Metal coffins
- Bronze coffins: Bronze, a semi-precious material and an alloy of copper and either zinc or tin, is the strongest and longest-lasting of any coffin construction material.
- Copper coffins: Copper is considered a precious metal and evidence of its longevity rests in the original copper roof and pipes existing in the world's great architectural gems. Copper also has excellent resistance to corrosion. Copper is one-third stronger than stainless steel and available in 32-ounce weight.
- Stainless Steel coffins: Stainless steel is an alloy of carbon steel containing ten percent or more chromium. Nickel and other chemical elements are also used in the formulation of various types of stainless steel.
- Steel coffins: The long-lasting nature of metal combined with its affordability and performance make steel caskets one of the most popular selections. The range of colors from respectful blues, browns, blacks, and grays to peaceful pastels in purples, pinks, and blues makes each selection unique.
Carbon steel caskets are typically available in various grades, for example (from thickest to thinnest): 16 gauge, 18 gauge and 20 gauge. While not as durable or resistant to corrosion as stainless steel, they feature a one-piece top, formed from a single sheet of steel, for added strength. A continuous seam weld secures the casket bottom to ensure its structural integrity.
Wood coffins
- Mahogany coffins: Mahogany is a moderately heavy and moderately hard wood, and is considered a valuable wood. Mahogany is resistant to termites and rot. It can easily be worked with either power tools or hand tools. Mahogany's heartwood varies from light to dark reddish-brown to deep red. The grain is straight (sometimes interlocked) and the wood has a moderately coarse texture. It's highly figured when it's sliced into a wood veneer. Mahogany is a tropical hardwood, and doesn't grow in the US; it's native to the rain forests in South America and Africa. Due to heavy harvesting, the use of mahogany is more limited than it once was, and the wood is not often used in construction anymore, as it frequently was in the past.
- Walnut coffins: Walnut is a heavy, hard, strong wood with a medium to coarse texture. The wood is generally straight-grained, but sometimes with wavy or curly grain that produces an attractive and decorative figure. This species produces a greater variety of figure types than any other. Walnut develops a rich patina that grows more lustrous with age. Walnut is usually supplied steamed, to darken sapwood.The sapwood of walnut is creamy white, while the heartwood is light brown to dark chocolate brown, occasionally with a purplish cast and darker streaks.
- Cherry coffins: Cherry is a light, strong hardwood. Cherry heartwood ranges from from a deep, rich red to reddish brown, and will darken both with age and with exposure to natural light. The sapwood of the cherry tree is a creamy white color, with a fine, uniform, straight grain and a satiny-smooth texture. It may also naturally contain brown flecks and small gum pockets.
- Maple coffins: Tough, heavy, and hard, maple is a straight-grained wood that ranges from creamy white to pink-tinged to a light reddish-brown. Maple is particularly resistant to abrasion and wear. Maple can be tricky to work with in manufacturing, as it tends to dry slowly and have a high shrinkage factor, which can make it susceptible to variances in performance if not carefully attended. However, with care it machines well, turns well, and can be stained to a truly beautiful finish.
- Oak coffins: Oak is highly resistant to water and other liquids. It's a heavy, hard, strong wood with a coarse texture and a straight grain. The heartwood ranges from a rich, light brown to dark brown.
- Ash coffins: Ash is a heavy, hard, strong, stiff wood that is also highly shock-resistant. Its color ranges from nearly white (sapwood) to light brown to pale yellow streaked with brown. It's straight-grained with a coarse, even texture.
- Poplar coffins: Excellent strength and stability, Poplar's color ranges from creamy white in the sapwood to pale yellow-brown or olive green for the heartwood. The heartwood tends to darken when exposed to light, eventually turning a rich brown. Poplar has a medium-to-fine texture and a straight grain, as well as a mostly uniform texture.
- Pine coffins: A straight-grained wood with a fine texture and low contrast, pine is a heavy, hard, strong wood used in manufacturing a wide range of products, including caskets. "Just put me in a pine box" is a common refrain we've all heard, and it's something that is still widely done. Pine has a wide range of colors, from nearly white to pale white to a reddish brown color.
- Wood Veneer coffins: Decorative wood veneer is also a popular and lower-cost alternative for caskets. A wood veneer is a thin layer of wood created in a uniform thickness. Wood veneers are produced by slicing, peeling, or sawing wood into a variety of thicknesses and standards. Veneers are manufactured in many thicknesses and standards, according to the final end use. There are no limits on what can be done with veneering technology. The full extent and expression of the wood veneer designer's work depends on both the wood species and the cutting method used to extract the wood's natural beauty.
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