SAPELE. Reddish-brown in color. Overall a very uniformly colored wood. Very similar in appearance and workability to mahogany. The wood displays a beautiful chatoyance. The grain will shift as your perspective changes. Occasional quilted, curly, and or mottled figures can be present. A significant upcharge is typical for figured material. Material is often sorted for “ribbon stripe,” which would consist of the quarter and rift sawn boards, a moderate upcharge for the “ribbon” material. Sapele is pleasantly fragrant when cut. INDIGENOUS HABITAT Tropical AfricaBOTANICAL NAME Entandrophragma cylindricumOTHER NAMES Sapele, Sapelli, Sapeli
PADUAK. DESCRIPTION African Padauk heartwood is vivid blood red, toning down to a dark purple-brown with red streaks upon exposure. Grain is straight to interlocked. The texture is similar to African mahogany, being slightly open-grained. COUNTRY OF ORIGIN AfricaBOTANICAL NAME Pterocarpus SoyauxiiOTHER NAMES Camwood, Barwood, Corail
JATOBA. DESCRIPTION Jatoba heartwood is salmon red to orange-brown marked with dark brown streaks. It has a golden luster. Grain is usually interlocked with a medium to coarse texture.
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN South America (Brazil)BOTANICAL NAME Hymenaea CourbarilOTHER NAMES Brazilian Cherry, Jutaby, West Indian Locust, Copal, Guapinal
WALNUT. DESCRIPTION Black Walnut heartwood is rich dark brown to purplish-black and is usually straight-grained. Wavy or curly grain is sometimes present. Note: long, wide boards are hard to find clear.COUNTRY OF ORIGIN North AmericaBOTANICAL NAME Juglans NigraOTHER NAMES American Walnut, Virginia Walnut, Canaletto, Black Hickory Nut.
MAHOGANY. DESCRIPTION South American Mahogany heartwood ranges from light to dark reddish-brown in color. Grain is straight to interlocked. Its texture is medium to coarse and uniform. Dark-colored gun or white deposits commonly occur in the pores. COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
South America (see other names for more)BOTANICAL NAME Swietenia MacrophyllaOTHER NAMES Central American Mahogany, British Honduras Mahogany, Costa Rican, Brazilian, Peruvian, Nicaraguan, etc. according to country of origin.
DESCRIPTION African Mahogany heartwood ranges from light to deep reddish-brown in color. Grain is straight to interlocked. Its texture is medium to coarse. Logs may have brittle or soft heartwood and sometimes fractures or heartbreaks. COUNTRY OF ORIGIN AfricaBOTANICAL NAME Khaya IvorensisOTHER NAMES Nigerian, Benin, Lagos or Degema Mahogany, Krala, Mangonia, Munyama, Mbaua, Mbawa, Mkangazi.
DESCRIPTION Hard maple is creamy white with a reddish tinge and usually has a straight grain, sometimes curly or wavy. Fine brown growth rings give an attractive figure on plain sawn surfaces. Rays are longer than in Soft Maple. The texture is fine and even. COUNTRY OF ORIGIN North AmericaBOTANICAL NAME Acer SaccharumOTHER NAMES White Maple, Sugar Maple, Rock Maple
DESCRIPTION White oak varies in color from light tan to pale yellow-brown with a pinkish tinge. It is similar to European oak. Straight-grained with characteristic silver grain in quarter-sawn wood. Medium to coarse texture. White Oak is somewhat more figured than Red Oak due to longer rays. COUNTRY OF ORIGIN North AmericaBOTANICAL NAME Quercus AlbaOTHER NAMES Appalachian Oak, Arizona Oak, Stave Oak, Cucharillo, Encino
DESCRIPTION Purpleheart heartwood is a deep purple-violet when freshly cut, maturing to a dark brown. The original color is restored when re-cut. Grain is straight but often irregular, wavy, and sometimes interlocked. The texture is moderate to fine. BOTANICAL NAME Peltogyn PubescensOTHER NAMES Amaranth, Violetwood, Koroboreli, Saka, Pau Roxo, Morado, Tanzania