Why would you use veneer for a project rather than solid timber?

There are two primary reasons for the use of veneer in a woodworking project: strength and price.

In the matter of strength, most veneered wood is a form of plywood. Plywood comes in a variety of strands (plys), from three-ply to laminated products of 20, 50, or 100+. The greater the ply, the stronger the product due to the cross-biased construction.

As far as price, the cost of a piece of plywood with a rare wood face such as mahogany or rosewood is vastly lower than a piece of solid lumber. The face being 1/64th to 1/16th inch thick will show the same beautiful grain as a solid piece for a fraction of the cost, and the workability of plywood is negligibly the same as a solid piece of lumber.