Russian Birch is not a specific species of birch, but is a general designation of plywood from Russia and nearby Baltic states (such as Finland). As with any natural wood product, quality can be variable. However, Baltic Birch plywood is generally regarded as being of higher quality than standard birch plywood.

In a nutshell, Russian Birch plywood is made entirely from birch plies, with no softwood or filler plies in the center. Furthermore, the plies themselves tend to be much thinner, allowing for more plies for a given thickness, and greater stiffness and stability.

Baltic Birch grades

The grading for Russian Birch is established by the Russian intergovernmental standard GOST 3916.1-96.

Grading is given as the two outer faces of the plywood, in the format of front/back. For instance, baltic birch with a “B/BB” grade would have a B grade front ply, and a BB grade back ply.