It also possesses a beautiful natural luster. Combined with its modest price, White Ash’s easy working properties, generally light overall color and good gluing and finishing characteristics make it a popular wood for a variety of practical and utility applications. Its sap can be difficult to differentiate from the heartwood. Comments: Katalox is one of the most dense woods in the world. Sap colors can range fron tan to a dull light gray, and is clearly demarcated. Unless action is taken to stem the tide (of poaching), Ziricote and other Central American woods could very well be the subject of actions from CITES in the very near future. Our experience yields a broader perspective, as we have found the wood sometimes with greens and reds — more similar to Malaysian Blackwood, at times, with hues darker and more muted — and devoid of any pink content. The main commercial use of swamp ash is solid electric guitar bodies. Although it can have varying grains, straight-grained pieces are generally very easy to work, and the wood turns smoothly and finishes well. Tamboti emits a fragrant, spicy smell when worked, and the smell can actually persist for years. Sustainability: Not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It works well — cutting, turning, gluing and finishing smoothly — although tearout with interlocked grains is not uncommon. To its credit, the species has managed to not only survive, but maintain some longevity — due to its early seed-bearing tendencies, and quick rate of growth. It’s interlocked grains are akin to other African woods and generally produce a characteristic contrasting light-dark / two-toned sort of appearance, when quartersawn — which can be visually stunning in the case of more chatoyant boards. Common Uses: Veneer, musical instruments, boats and shipbuilding, furniture, cabinetry, trim work, flooring, inlays, carving, turned objects, and other small specialty wood items. Although it is a non-durable wood, it is renowned for its toughness; it’s considered to be among the strongest of hardwoods indigenous to the US. There are many species of Birch, worldwide; it is one of the most popular woods, ironically, for both veneer and utility applications. ), also. It is very dense and extremely durable. Contact Us. It is relatively easy to work, although it can be very difficult to dry. The wood has a high natural oil content and is quite dense, which makes working it an often-difficult prospect. Highly figured pieces look simply stunning as knife handles or other accent pieces. Despite its great popularity throughout southern Africa, its sawdust can be quite harmful to the eyes (even being reputed to cause blindness, in extreme cases of repeated exposure). Its grains are straight and its texture is fine; combined with its modest hardness and density, the wood is very easy to work, and glues and finishes well. The wood earned its “… Rosewood” nicknames (by which it is commonly known) because its colors and density are similar, which its medium brown base typically augmented by black streaks or grain lines, and sometimes even purple, tan and golden secondary hues, and sometimes a purplish tint, overall. Comments: Hardly ever seen here, this is an oak that remains in short supply in the US. Comments: Afrormosia is a very durable wood, and it works well with either hand or machine tools. Grains are typically straight, though they can occasionally be wavy or interlocked. Comments: The wood is considered a premium hardwood in Europe, and one of economic importance. Grains are generally straight, though sometimes interlocked. It has a medium texture. Optimal lumber would be quartersawn and dried as thoroughly as possible (in the 6% range). Sustainability: This species is not currently listed in the CITES Appendices but is listed on the IUCN Red List as being a species of least concern. Its tough, durable nature saw it used as an exterior wood in the region. More dense specimens have been used for a number of demanding outdoor applications in Africa, yet premium-grade pieces can hold their own, aesthetically, with the finest exotic woods in the world — often boasting a high degree of chatoyance, and a remarkably deep, 3D-like figure. It is generally a bit lighter colored, with heartwood ranging from the lighter to darkers sides of medium brown, with dark brown to black streaks and/or highlighted grain lines. Its grains are tighter than a typical rosewood specimen, and it is thought to have a more distinctly percussive taptone than that of Brazilian. It glues and finishes well. Sustainability: This species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, although several other Berlinia species in Africa (not exported to the US) are said to be either endangered or vulnerable. Common Uses: Veneer, carving, furniture, interior trim, boxes, and crates. Not unlike its Acer-genus counterparts, pieces can sometimes be dramatically figured. African Paduak is a very strong, stable hardwood. Grains can be straight, irregular or interlocked; straight-grained pieces plane and turn well, although cutting tools and blades should always be at their very sharpest. Sapwood generally is white / off white and paler than the heartwood, though not always clearly demarcated. African Blackwood often appears almost completely black, with its grains hardly discernible. Comments: Bubinga is well known for its use as a rosewood substitute. Beech veneer has a different appearance than lumber. Comments: Its tough, very durable nature makes it a natural choice for more demanding applications, such as flooring — where it remains a popular choice in the US. Other pieces, more consistent in color, have at times resembled Cherry. Although it’s not currently viewed as endangered, the wood has always been in short supply in the US, despite an unquenchable demand from custom guitar builders and wood enthusiasts, alike. Sustainability: This species is in CITES Appendix II, and is classified as “Endangered” on the IUCN Red List. Examples can vary dramatically in appearance, one from another — so much so that they could easily be thought to be of different, unrelated species. Despite being more durable than any American oak species, its draw is its aesthetic qualities. Supplying a large selection of quality species from all over the world. Its sometimes wavy grain patterns can make it a very aesthetically pleasing exotic wood, as well. Common Uses: Flooring, veneer, millwork, stringed instrument fingerboards, carvings, turned objects and small specialty items. Common uses: Veneer, plywood, boxes, crates, turned objects, interior trim, and other small specialty wood items. ), but generally mutate back towards a darker brown with purple tint with continued exposure to UV rays. The wood encompasses a variety of different species of the Handroanthus genus, so aesthetics and grains patterns can vary dramatically. Logs are usually cut into boards of 4/4 thickness, for faster, more consistent drying. Sustainability: Not listed in CITES Appendix or the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Just asking for Limba from anyone is a spin of the roulette wheel. Aside from its rugged, handsome looks — which lend it well to furniture and cabinet building — it is durable, stable and has excellent shock resistance, making it an ideal choice for such applications. Sustainability: Listed in CITES Appendix II, and listed as “Endangered” on the IUCN Red List. High shrinkage rates equate with poor dimensional stability, thus quartersawing is recommended. Its pores are very small by rosewood standards; it sands smooth and finishes beautifully, with a wonderful natural luster. It is a very popular musical instrument wood that produces a rich, warm tone. where out-of-place genera are categorized. Reddish brown in color, its figure can vary in density from block to block. Its easy, cooperative working properties combined with its consistent texture and color make it loved by craftsmen, carvers and turners, alike. Comments: American Birch works easily — it turns, glues and finishes well — although most boards have very little natural luster. Common Uses: Cabinetry, furniture, interior trim, flooring, boatbuilding, wine barrels, interior & exterior utility wood, and veneer. *Due to cites restrictions, we are unable to ship African Blackwood internationally. It is considered a premium domestic hardwood. *Due to cites restrictions, we are unable to ship Madagascan Rosewood internationally. Its relatively small tree size make larger boards difficult, if not impossible, to access, with small craft pieces being more commonly found. The wood is considered very difficult to work, as — in addition to its great density — its grain patterns are usually interlocked. Trees do not grow to be large (at all), so supplies are limited, and prices are generally reflective of this. For any sort of resawing or surfacing, blades and cutting tools should be at their sharpest to minimize tearout. It is very popular with wood carvers and turners, alike, although it can be difficult to work and has reputation for dulling saw blades. Used as both a Mahogany substitute and an everyday utility carpentry wood throughout its indigenous regions (scattered across Central & South America), Andiroba is generally easy to work, and turns, glues and finishes well. Marblewood tree is known for the highly distinctive stripes, ranging in color from dark brown, to even purple or black. It is straight grained and has a fine, consistent texture, which makes it generally easy to work — although common-grade pieces may contain numerous small knots, and the wood can be difficult to stain. Sustainability: Not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.? For this reason, it is generally harvested during the winter months and not left to air dry for very long before making it into a kiln. It ranges massively in color and can have some stunning figures as a result. Comments: Contrary to other published data (by the Wood Database), the typical growth range for these trees in the wild is only between 40 and 80 feet tall. *Due to cites restrictions, we are unable to ship Tulipwood internationally. Its heartwood is a robust medium to dark brown (sometimes with a reddish tint), and is known to darken with age; sapwood is pale yellow. As is the case with many such woods of exceeding density, logs have a tendency to split from the center, outward, after being cut. Although not a true Dalbergia rosewood, this beautiful, quite versatile wood holds many similarities. Finding long boards of it can be most difficult; pieces of craft-sized dimensions are more commonly found in the US. Despite the difficulties it poses with planing and resawing, Argentinian Lignum is a great wood for any outdoor applications: it is virtually rot-proof, and insect-proof. Despite its relatively light dried weight (31 lbs/ft3 / 495 kg/m3), once dry it is considered to be dimensionally stable, with excellent durability and easy working properties. Many such tradesmen compare the wood’s cooperative disposition to that of Black Cherry. The wood has been somewhat maligned, perhaps unfairly, due to what many claim to be the toxicity of its dust (due to this, many luthiers refuse to work with it). Swamp Ash (guitar) Average Dried Weight: less than 30-33.6 lbs/ft 3 (481-538 kg/m 3). Grains can be straight, but are more typically interlocked. Honduran Rosewood’s grain lines are unusually tight and straight (though sometimes wavy or interlocked). Its supply is inconsistent, at best, due not only to the very small tree size, but also to a very limited natural range (exclusive to Northeastern Brazil). Often, its aesthetics are enhanced by rugged, dark contrasting striping. Grains are generally straight, but can be wavy or interlocked; its texture ranges from fine to medium, with large, open pores. The lumber it yields has a heartwood which is generally comprised of light to medium golden brown hues (although the brownish hues can sometimes be dark, toward the tree’s center). Despite successfully enduring, the average life span of an Elm tree has been greatly foreshortened; very few trees survive long enough to reach full maturity. In times past, this medium-density wood was a heavily-used utility wood and was a staple in the paper / pulp industry … then Dutch Elm Disease showed up, and its numbers have been decimated since continually gathering steam.