Staining and finishing techniques vary greatly.  Some processes are simply more carefully and artfully done, with more time-consuming hand work.  These hand-rubbed penetrating stains, and hand-rubbed finish coats are more expensive to produce than quickly sprayed-on color, but usually produce more appealing results.

Also, the different wood species respond in their own unique ways to sanding and staining processes.  And people's preferences vary as to what "looks good" in finished wood.

The hard maple you ask about, for example, is well known for accepting stain irregularly -- especially in darker colors.  This produces the blotchiness you've seen.  Some folks enjoy seeing  this "character of the wood."  Others choose different wood species that tend to stain more evenly for these deeper colors.

And some manufacturers include color solids in their stains and finishes -- called toners.  These toners deposit color on top of the wood, blending and hiding somewhat the natural color variations of the wood in order to create a more uniform overall color appearance.

Toned finishes can be just as artfully and beautifully done as the best penetrating stain finishes.  Customer choice enters in here.  Do you value more the full presence of the wood's natural appearance, or is color continuity more important to you?

At our SITK design showroom, we'll be happy to help you see and consider these wood specie and finish choices carefully.