Is poplar a bad choice? I'm getting ready to build my first dining table. I'm concerned that poplar is either too soft or too boring.

Personally, I've always like poplar pieces with creamy sections next to heart wood sections. I think it's soft and pretty once it ages. It's great to work with, stable, has a variety of dimensions at my lumber yard, and best of all...it's cheap!

However, I couldn't find any examples of Dining tables (for 6 people) built with poplar. I'm just wondering why. I'll probably finish with minwax wipe-on poly. Would that beef up a poplar table top enough to withstand writing on a piece of paper with a pen directly on the table top? Will poplar table legs get excessive dents from metal chairs and shoes banging into them? Will Birch, Maple, or Cherry do significantly better?