LEARN ABOUT THE WOOD

Wood Descriptions:

Argentine Lignum Vitae : This Central American wood is often used as a substitute for Genuine Lignum Vitae (Guayacan)  because of the it’s similar properties and color. Origin: Argentina

AUSTRALIAN BURL : There are many varieties of Australian Burls such as Coolabahs and Brown Mallee and Red Morrel.  They come mainly from the Eucalyptus family.  The wood is often hard  and heavy. Origin: Australia

BLACK AND WHITE EBONY: This variety of ebony comes mainly from Laos and S.E. Asia.  It has a distinctive contrast of black lines or patterns throughout its white to creamy white heartwood. Origin: S.E. Asia

BLACK MESQUITE: Black Mesquite is brown to chocolate in color. Black Mesquite lumber comes in wide, long boards, which can have a light chocolate to almost purple. It also has a rich grain pattern that will darken with time The wood is available in the US, but the supplier that this wood was purchased from stated county of origin as Argentina. Origin: Argentina

BLACK LIMBA :The color has varying degrees of brown to black with a tinge of orange streaking, the heartwood may have grey-black streaks. Black Limba is a close, straight grained timber, sometimes with interlocked or wavy grain producing excellent figure, with a moderately coarse but even texture. Was used by Gibson in producing their now highly sought-after Flying V and Explorer guitars in 1957. Source: West Africa

BLUE MAHOE: The tree is the national tree of Jamaica.  Its leaves are used to make Cuban cigars and it is one of only two woods that has a metallic blue color.  The wood holds its color well and can have offsets of brown and black. Source: Jamaica

BOCOTE: Bocote is sought for its great beauty and ease of working. Bocote is a particularly fine, beautiful wood, with colors varying from light to golden brown and variegated irregular markings. It has an attractive ray fleck figure. Origin:  Mexico    

BUBINGA:Bubinga has a resemblance to rosewood. The heartwood is pink, vivid red or red brown with purple streaks or veins. On exposure it becomes yellow or medium brown with a reddish tint, veining becomes less conspicuous. Bubinga can be highly figured.  Origin East Africa

CAMATILLO: Related to Brazilian Kingwood, this rosewood can have vivid purple and violet colors.  The wood comes from Central America and is rare because of the method  of harvest and availability. Source: Central America  

CAMEL THORN: African hardwood in the Acacia family.  The wood can be found in the savannah of South Africa and the southern part of Mozambique.   The tree often offers shade for the Meekest.  It is a dense wood and comes in small widths and sizes. It is prized for its color. Source: Africa

CARANDA: This wood is known as Itín, Palo Mataco, Caranda or Barba de Tigre. Caranda or Itín sapwood is light yellow, while the heartwood is chestnut brown with patches of dark violet. The wood has a fine texture and straight to wavy to interlocked grain. When first chopped it is very scented. Itín wood is very dense and durable. Source: Argentina  

CHINA BERRY: Medium density wood originally from Asia, now a firm grower in warmer climates in the United States.  Has a very curly grain pattern when quarter sawn. Source: Eastern United States

COCUSWOOD: A West Indian wood, used for making flutes and other musical instruments.  Wood is hard to fine and is sought after for its musical tone qualities. Source: West Indies

EAST INDIAN ROSEWOOD: East Indian Rosewood is a beautiful exotic turning wood that can have a wonderful striped figure. It is very stable.  Source: India

EUROPEAN PEARWOOD: Swiss Pear, Wild Pear or European Pear wood is pinkish brown, red brown, or a rich red which will darken with age. Source: Europe      

 Ambrosia Maple: Ambrosia maple gets is colorful streaking from the ambrosia beetle. The beetle bores a network of tunnels that leaves behing a fungus that creates beautiful blue, gray and brown streaks without affecting the structural intergrity of the wood. Source; Eastern United States.

GREEN HEART: The wood is heavy with a high density.  It is said to be twice as hard as oak.  Used in shipbuilding and other marine work.  It is also used for billiard and pool cues. Source: Brazil and Mexico

GUAYACAN: Genuine Lignum Vitae or Guayacan heartwood is dark greenish brown to almost black and sharply demarcated from the pale yellow or cream-colored sapwood, a slight scent is evident when warmed or rubbed. It has a characteristic oily feel due to the resin content that may be as high as one-fourth of the air-dry weight. Source: Caribbean, north coastal South America    

HACKBERRY: The color of hackberry ranges from creamy white (sometimes with a grayish cast) to a light yellowish tan, with no sharp contrast between heartwood and sapwood. Its grain resembles ash. Source:  United States (southern states)

JICARILLO: Brosimum Guianensis Same family as Snake wood Source: Guatemala United States

HORMIGO: In the Granadilla family. Hormigo can range in color from reddish brown complimented by dark brown/black streaks (Hormigo Negro) to a satiny reddish-orange, similar to that of Blood wood (Hormigo Rojo).  The wood is often used in the construction of the Marimba a Guatemala national instrument Source: Central America

JOBILLO: Heartwood is russet brown, orange brown, or reddish brown to red with narrow to wide irregular stripes of medium to very dark brown. After exposure it becomes brown, red, or dark reddish brown with nearly black stripes. The dingy grayish or brownish-white sapwood is sharply demarcated. The wood weathers well and is highly resistant to moisture absorption. Source : Guatemala

KATALOX: This very hard, dense, heavy, Central/Latin American wood has generally dark purple and brown heartwood that can show considerable color variation. Katalox can be quite attractive and it takes a high natural polish and sometimes has interlocked grain that can create an attractive curl in the figure. Katalox is ideal for an Ebony substitute ( it is also referred to as Mexican Ebony) for stringed instruments and is nearly as dense as Ebony. Source :  Mexico

KENTUCKY COFFEE BEAN: The frequent designation "Kentucky" coffee tree would be more correctly given as "American" since it grows in several states throughout the East, Mideast, and Northeast of the USA, and in some areas of Canada. It is sometimes incorrectly designated as a mahogany. It is heavy and strong but not very hard and it is coarse grained in a way that makes it look a lot like red oak and sassafras. Reportedly, the beans of the tree CAN be used to make coffee, but only in a slightly more reasonable way than using mud to make chocolate. Source: North America       

KINGWOOD: Also called “Violet wood” or “Violete”. Kingwood is light to dark violet-brown with lighter and darker stripes of purple. Bright luster, fine texture and is very stable in service. Very hard and heavy. Fairly rare rose wood. Source: Brazil

KIAAT: Kiaat or muninga.  Heartwood color can vary widely from a lighter golden brown, to a darker reddish or purplish brown. Kiaat’s colors reportedly get lighter upon exposure to light.  Source: Africa

LACEWOOD: Leopard wood "Brazilian Lace wood" Roupala bra si liens is. Leopard wood is also known as Lace wood  Leopard wood is pale pinkish brown to medium brown with flaky, speckled figure with dark flecks, varying from a small lacelike pattern to a larger "splashy" figure. The texture of Leopard wood is fairly coarse. Fairly scarce.  Source Chile

MARBLEWOOD:Marble wood (Marmaroxylon Racemosum) the heartwood is pale brown with purplish to black streaks, sapwood is lighter in color.  Source:  South America

MIMOSA: Mimosa is also commonly known as the "silk tree".  The sapwood is a light tan color, and the heartwood contains a wide variety of colors.  Most often, light browns and dark browns are seen, but light blue, light green, and reddish brown can also occur.  The wood works quite well, and has an iridescent appearance once finished.  Available in very limited quantities. Source: United States

MIRUEIRA, Another name for Muiracatiara

MOABI OR AFRICAN PEARWOOD: Heartwood is pinkish brown, red brown, or a rich red; sapwood is pinkish white or gray brown, rather well demarcated. Texture is fine and even; grain is straight, sometimes wavy; has an attractive figure. Source: Africa

MOPANE or MOPANI: Mopani heartwood is brown to reddish, the thin sapwood is yellow to light brown. The wood is very hard and heavy. It doesn’t split or slit easily, the oily content of the wood might explain this worthwhile characteristic. Mopani produces high quality furniture and is also used for inlays in light colored wood. It has been used for many years for flutes, piccolos and other traditional instruments.  Source: South Africa   

     
MORA: Mora heartwood is yellowish-red to reddish brown or dark red with paler streaks. Sapwood is distinct and yellowish to pale brown. Texture moderately fine to rather coarse; luster medium to high; grain is straight to interlocked. Source: Guatemala

MORADO: Also known as Bolivian Rosewood. The wood is mostly found in South America. The color chocolate with purple swirl colors. This is a very dense and heavy wood. Source: South America   

MOVINGUI: Movingui is golden yellow to bright yellow. It is fairly rare and can have deep birds eye and rich curly patterns.   Source: Africa

MUIRACATIARA: The heartwood has a light orange brown color, with an irregular pattern of black stripes, which makes it very decorative. After exposure Muiracatiara darkens quickly to orange or dark red brown. Source: Central America     

MULBERRY: Bulgarian Mulberry trees leaves provide food for the silk worm. Source: Europe.

MULGA: Australian wood used by Aborigines in the making of spears and boomerangs Source: Australia  

   
MUN EBONY:Mun Ebony (Diospyrus Mun) One of the more stable ebonies ranging from dark greenish black with creamy lines to a wild sky scape figure.  Source: Laos

NW MAPLE: This wood has interlocking grain patterns but is softer than east coast maple.  This wood comes from a tree  that  feel on my property on Camano Island during a storm in 1999.  The tree had been weakened because of a family of raccoons that had hollowed out the core. I have used this wood for my wine displays. Source: Pacific Northwest  

OLIVEWOOD WILD: Olive wood is brown to rich greenish brown in color, streaked with dark brown lines. Sapwood is creamy yellow or gold color and is often interlaced with dark stripes. Very nice contrast. The figure ranges from straight to wavy. It is hard and heavy, very fine texture. Source: East Africa

OROTOJUAGE: Orotojuage Botanical Name: Acacia deamii, Dark brown to reddish brown with black to reddish grain. Source: Guatemala  

PALSINDER ROSEWOOD:Dark rosewood with purple black lines and dark browns.  Has a very attractive figure. Source: India

PEROBA ROSA: Hard and heavy wood that can vary in color from pink to red with purple, orange or yellow streaks.  The wood darkens on exposure Source: Brazil    

PERSIMMON: Persimmon is taken from the Diospyros Virginiana tree and is found throughout North America. It is actually the northern most member of the ebony family. Its heartwood is brown, black, or variegated, and brown to orange brown streaks can sometimes be present. Source: United States

Pheasant Wood: A rare varity of Hawaiin Hardwood The wood's grain, when cut, looks like feathers and hence the name pheasant wood. The wood is a golden brown and if can be obtained, makes for a very distinctive and rare product. United States

PINK IVORY:The wood has a straight to interlocked grain with a moderately fine and even texture.  The wood has a pinkish red striped figure that is created by alternating bands of dark and light growth rings. Source: Africa 

PISTACHIO :This colorful hardwood is reclaimed from California orchards.  It has dense colors and deep patterns. Source: California

PYNINMA: The heartwood is pale red-brown to grey-yellow or light red to reddish brown and darkens upon exposure. The rather wide sapwood is described as white to yellowish-brown, or light yellow-brown to grayish white with an occasional pinkish hue. The wood is usually straight grained, but may occasionally be crossed or wavy. A combination of the semi-ring pore structure and the occasionally wavy grain produces an attractive figure. Source: Indochina 

REDHEART :Red heart is host to a number of very interesting streaks and closed knots. In many ways it is similar to Blood wood in character and color. Source:  Central America/ Mexico

REDWOOD :Redwood is in the family of the largest living trees.  This California costal tree can have very large stumps that can still provide good usable wood.  This lumber is salvaged from those stumps. Source: California  

RENEGAS TIGER:Renegas Tiger (also known as Borneo Rosewood) has a medium to coarse texture and a straight to interlocked grain, which can yield a striped figure. Source: Indonesia

SNAKEWOOD :Snake wood Piratinera guianensis This is one of the world’s most rare species, only growing in a small region in the north part of South America. It is named Snake wood due to the remarkable resemblance to a real snake’s skin. Source: South America          

SOUTH AFRICAN BLACK WOOD :This wood is part of the rosewood family.  It has much the same color of ebony and is almost as hard, but the wood works easier and is often paired with the contrasting sap wood to highlight its dark browns and black. Source: Africa

SYCAMORE: Sycamore Arizona Sycamore is whitish to light yellow with some reddish brown. The grain is usually interlocked and irregular. Quarter sawn surfaces are reported to exhibit an attractive mottled texture.  Source:  North America- United States 

TAMBOTI: Tamboti is a hard wood; lustrous and with a powerful, persistent, and pleasant scent sweeter than that of sandalwood. This pleasant odor will last long after the wood is cut. A piece of furniture made of it can scent a large room for a long time. Because of its limited quantities, and the defectiveness of the tree, it is a rare wood and therefore sought for small fancy articles and high grade furniture. Source: Africa

TEXAS EBONY: The colors of Texas Ebony heartwood range from a dark chocolate brown (almost coal black) to a dark brown with thin strips of lighter brown. This banded and somewhat swirling pattern of light brown streaks in the dark matrix resembles cream poured into coffee The sapwood is a bright golden yellow color, an attractive contrast to the heartwood. , Ebenopsis ebano.   Source: Texas

THUYA BURL: Thuya is always found in the burl form.  It is dug out of the ground and is often in small quantities. The wood often has golden brown and black burl eyes. Source: Northern Africa

TIGERWOOD: Also known as Goncalo Alves. The wood is golden brown to reddish brown with irregular black and brown streaks.  The grain is normally interlocked and or wavy. Source: Brazil    

TINEO: Is also known as Indian Apple.  The heartwood can have very striking bluish black variegated stripes though pinkish red.  Steinway Piano uses the wood to make one of their high end pianos. Source: South America

TULIP WOOD: This wood is heavy , hard and dense.  The wood takes a very high polish that highlights the varying shades of  pink, rose and red colors. The pattern is often  wavy and  interlocked.  The wood has become scarce on the open market. Source: Brazil

WALNUT: Walnut heartwood is a rich dark brown to purplish-black, mostly straight grained, but with wavy or curly grain occasionally present. The texture is rather coarse. Walnut works with hand or machine tools without difficulty, but with a moderate blunting effect on cutting edges. Holds nails or screws well, glues satisfactorily, and polishes to a high finish. Source: United States