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Rosewood - African Lumber @ Rare Woods USA

African Rosewood is a species from the same genus as Bubinga (Guibourtia), which has led to Bubinga often mistakenly being referred to as "African Rosewood." Though obviously not a true rosewood, it does often bear aesthetic similarities. The grain is generally straight but can be interlocked; its texture is moderately fine. The heartwood color ranges from pink to reddish-brown, with purple or red streaks / lines / highlights.

African Rosewood works well, although it can have a moderate blunting effect on tools. It glues and finishes well. It needs to be dried slowly and carefully, to prevent warping and cracking. It's a durable wood and is considered stable, once dried.

boatbuilding, decking, flooring, furniture, millwork, specialty items, turnings, veneer

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Mopane Roots

Indigenous to the southern region of Africa, the Mopane tree is known for its butterfly-shaped leaves -- leaves which are initially a bright green color, later transforming into a cache of reds, oranges, and yellows, in the autumn season. The heartwood it produces is medium to darker brown in color, with a golden to reddish tint, often decorated with black streaks. It is very dense and extremely durable. It is also very resistance to infestation, which has seen it used for centuries in its native region in a variety of outdoor uses.

The wood is considered very difficult to work, as -- in addition to its great density -- its grain patterns are usually interlocked. It turns smoothly and (as would be expected) holds details very well, making it popular with turners and carvers who know of it.

We stock roots, but the details we provide are for the timber.

carving, construction, fencing, flooring, furniture, turnings, utility lumber

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Oak - Silky

Silky Oak is not a true Quercus-genus species, although it can exhibit a similar appearance; it is renowned for its dense "rays" and sometime flecked figuring. (Quartersawn pieces can be very dramatic.) It has a light to medium reddish-brown hue, with contrasting rays that are slightly darker can range anywhere from a muted brown to gray color. Despite being more durable than any American oak species, its draw is its aesthetic qualities. Because of its course texture -- with quartersawn surfaces being littered with Lacewood-like flecks -- Silky Oak can prove to difficult to plane. Once you're passed that, it is generally easy to work, and glues and finishes well.

cabinetry, fine furniture, specialty items, turnings, veneer

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Olive - Wild

For millenniums, Olivewood has remained a wood of great cultural and religious importance and significance, especially in the Middle East. The wood can, indeed, be exquisite in appearance: with its (typically) creamy, golden brown base, and darker streaks and highlights, often augmented by spectacular figuring and/or areas of magnificent burling.Grain patterns are usually either straight or wild, although they can sometimes be interlocked, as well. Although opinions differ, Olivewood is thought by many to be a very durable wood, although it can be susceptible to insect / bug infestation. The wood is considered to be a superb turner, and it generally works, glues and finishes well. Because the fruit of the Olive tree is olives, there is a limited supply of Olivewood that is made available to the US.For wood craftsmen of all niches, Olivewood is highly desired for its often spectacular aesthetics; being known for its gorgeous, often-twisting grain patterns and dramatic figuring. Defects are not uncommon, and can often present some challenges when working, but hard work and perseverance can produce extraordinary results; there's really no other wood quite like it.Found in the Mediterranean Basin -- from Portugal to the Levant, and the Arabian Peninsula -- and Southern Asia, as far east as China, the Olive tree grows as a small evergreen tree or shrub. It is also known to grow in the Canary Islands, Mauritius and Reunion. The species is / has been cultivated in many places; it's considered "naturalized" in the Mediterranean coast countries, as well as in Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Java (Indonesia), Norfolk Island, (the U.S. state) California, and Bermuda.Its trunk is generally twisted and/or gnarled, making long, defected free boards quite rare. When found, they command a premium price.

carving, furniture, specialty items, turnings, veneer

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Osage Orange

Coming from South-central United States, Osage Orange's heartwood begins as a bright yellow, but darkens with age...Osage Orange is highly durable and it turns well, but with its high density and hardness it can be difficult to work with.It has an Argentinian relation, Maclura tinctoria, which comes in larger sizes and with less knots than the US species.

bows, fencing, specialty items, turnings

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Mahogany - Brazilian

Known in the US primarily as "Genuine Mahogany," Swietenia Macrophylla, its scientific name, is what most in the exotic lumber industry consider to be the true species when referring to "Mahogany." Historically, it has been a very economically important wood throughout the Latin America region. Its color can range from a pale pink to a light to medium reddish-brown, and it is renowned for its chatoyance. Grains vary; although generally straight, they can be interlocked, irregular or wavy, also. Its texture is fine and uniform, with a rich natural luster.

Lumber which originates from the wood's indigenous natural regions is considered to be significantly more durable and stable than its plantation-grown counterparts.

Once a mainstay in the cabinetry, furniture and guitar building industries, here in the US, Genuine Mahogany has become increasingly more difficult to source since its inclusion in CITES' Appendix II, in 2003. It is still imported, although a significantly high percentage are of plantation-grown origin -- which is less desirable and considered to be of inferior quality to that grown in native habitats.

While the net effect of all this has been to create a 'mahogany substitute' segment of the exotic wood import industry -- bringing woods such as Sapele and African Mahogany more into favor -- the demand for Genuine Mahogany hasn't waned.

boatbuilding, cabinetry, carving, furniture, turnings, veneer

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Sapele

Sapele is an economically-important wood to the continent of Africa, and one that continues to grow in popularity in other industries beyond veneer mills, here in the US. It is commonly used as a substitute for Genuine Mahogany -- also belonging to the Meliaceae family -- and it, too, is considered moderately durable and stable. Its color can range from a light golden brown to a darker reddish- or pinkish-brown. The color will darken as the wood ages. Sapale is renowned for its sometimes quite dramatic figuring, which comes in an array of different styles: ribbon, pommele, quilted, mottled, waterfall, wavy, beeswing, tiger-striped and fiddleback. It also possesses a beautiful natural luster.

boatbuilding, cabinetry, flooring, furniture, specialty items, turnings, utility lumber, veneer

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Makore

Makore is a beautiful African wood which is renowned for its great strength and durability, despite being of a moderate density. Its heartwood can range from pink to a light to medium reddish-brown, with its yellow sapwood be clearly discerible, when present. Figuring is not unusual, with striped, mottled and sometimes even beeswing being found in quartersawn boards. It is typically straight-grained and easy to work, although grain patterns can occasionally be wavy or interlocked. Although it can have a dulling effect on saw blades, its high silica content contributes to its fine natural luster and poses no real issues with gluing or finishing.

boatbuilding, cabinetry, flooring, furniture, specialty items, turnings, utility lumber, veneer

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Maple - Ambrosia

Ambrosia Maple is a general term attached to a variety of Acer (true maple) species whose boards included colorful bug "trails" -- caused by a fungus carried by the Ambrosia Beetle which penetrates the tree sap as the beetle eats into the tree, and it spreads both through the worm hole and up and down in the tree (carried along by the sap) and causes discoloring of the wood in streaks. The two primary species which draw the beetle's attention are Acer rubrum (Red Maple) and Acer saccharum (Sugar Maple), although -- with there reputedly being more than sixty different Acer species indigenous to North America -- this unusual phenomenon is certainly not confined to just the two. Weight and density can vary greatly -- depending upon the actual species -- the typical varieties of maple figuring can also be present, often creating some very unique, visually spectacular specimens.

Like any other maple, it is easily worked; generally cooperative through all phases. It's not much of a stretch to imagine -- since bugs have, quite obviously, already penetrated the wood's surface -- that the wood is decidedly non-durable, although it is generally stable enough for use in furniture and guitars. Its surface is typically darker than most sap maple (often featuring secondary / additional discolorations and other long streaks), although it retains the same high degree of natural luster.The scientific explanation is that the impregnated Ambrosia Beetle burrows into the maple tree (presumably for a safe place to deposit larvae), carrying fungi on its feet into the wood -- which serves as food for the insect's offspring, when they hatch. The fungal residue left behind as it digs into the maple can cause discoloration throughout the wood, via the tree's sap, in addition to the dramatically contrasting (mostly) blue and (sometimes) green trails which surround the small tunnels they chew. The beetles prefer wood that is not soaking wet, but that is in the beginning stages of drying. Once kiln dried, they will not re-infest.

crafting, furniture, lutherie, specialty items, turnings, veneer

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Maple - Hard

Maple is the only American wood species harvested primarily for its sapwood, rather than heartwood. Since the beginning of mass commercial production of the electric guitar, in the early 1950's, Hard Maple has remained a pivotal lumber in the industry. It comes in a variety of figures -- including Birdseye and Tiger Maple figurings -- and its soft pale white to pale yellow complexion is sometimes augmented by light blue, red or pinkish tints and highlights, with a marvelous luster and often a luxurious sheen.

Its excellent strength-to-weight ratio, handsome looks, easy workability and steady supply has cemented Maple as a part of both American industry and culture. Despite its ready availability, premium-grade boards always command high prices and remain in constant demand, worldwide.

cabinetry, carving, flooring, furniture, turnings, veneer

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Maple - Soft

The term "Soft Maple" is not a reference to any particular maples species, per se, but a segment of the Acer genus known for its lighter weight and density (as well as its propensity for displaying the classic maple "curl" figure). Of these lighter maples, Red Maple has the most weight and density, and is also the most prevalent -- growing in areas scattered all over the Eastern US and up into (Eastern) Canada. As is the paradoxical case with all maples, its beautiful pale white / pale yellow / pale golden sapwood are more coveted than its darker heartwood.Its more heavy, dense nature lends Red Maple to a greater variety of utility applications, versus its less substantial Soft Maple cousins. Its figuring can be quite dramatic; tiger-striped, veined, fiddleback and sometimes even quilt figuring are sometimes present.

boxmaking, specialty items, turnings, utility lumber, veneer

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Marblewood

Marblewood tree is known for the highly distinctive stripes, ranging in color from dark brown, to even purple or black. While the sapwood is usually bears the same distinctively pale yellow color as the heartwood, only the heartwood features the trademark striping, which makes the wood so appealing to turners. The striping is random and irregular; no two patterns are ever alike. The wood is heavy and dense, making it well suited for applications where strength and durability are key -- such as flooring and furniture.

The wood can prove difficult to work, on account of its density and sometimes interlocked graining. Marblewood is also known for its high natural resin content; proper, complete kiln drying is essential for applications which involve finishing.

cabinetry, carving, flooring, furniture, turnings, utility lumber, veneer

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Kiaat

Kiaat is closely related to African Padauk (both are species of the Pterocarpus genus), sharing its characteristics of being durable, extremely stable and easy workability. The wood is renowned for its great bug and termite resistance.Although Kiaat is considerably less dense (than Padauk), it has an impressive strength-to-weight ratio which (combined with its durability) makes it a very versatile, useful wood -- suitable for a great variety of applications. Its heartwood color can vary from a light golden brown to a medium brown with a reddish or purplish tint. Grains can be straight, wavy or interlocked; its texture ranges from fine to medium, with a nice natural luster. Kiaat has very good working properties, and turns, glues and finishes well.

boatbuilding, furniture, specialty items, turnings, veneer

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Kingwood

Brazilian Kingwood is the second most-dense of the Dalbergia species (with African Blackwood being first). As is the case with many such woods of exceeding density, logs have a tendency to split from the center, outward, after being cut. Because of this, it is rare to find boards of any substantial size without defects; cracks and internal checks and tear-out are not uncommon. Grains are typically straight, though they can occasionally be wavy or interlocked. It has a fine, even texture and a high natural luster.

Its heartwood can vary from a muted orange- to reddish-brown, with dark brown or black thin stripes. Sapwood typically has a yellow tint and is commonly seen in boards.

gun stocks, handles, inlay, specialty items, turnings, veneer

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Koa

Hawaiian Koa is generally medium brown to reddish brown in color, but color can vary quite a lot.? It is a very popular musical instrument wood that produces a rich, warm tone. As a result it is used a lot in guitars and ukuleles.

gun stocks, specialty items, turnings, veneer

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Leopardwood

Leopardwood is so named for the tightly-grouped flecks which cover its surface. It is almost exclusively quartersawn, which displays its dramatic flecking in leopard-spot-like patterns (thus, the name). It is medium to dark, reddish brown in color. . Prior to being sanded, the flecked portion's slightly elevated positioning on the wood's surface gives it a true 3D look. It is fairly difficult to work and it's uneven texture can cause tearout issues when boards are planed.

cabinetry, fine furniture, turnings, veneer

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Leadwood

So named for its significant weight and density, this South African wood is seldom seen in the US in lumber form. 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. Grains are straight or irregular, and knots are not uncommon. Its texture is fine and consistent, and it displays a pleasant natural luster after fine sanding.

Leadwood is an excellent wood for any outdoor applications where strength, insect resistance and durability are required. Its tremendous density makes it difficult to plane and hard on cutting tools and saw blades -- and its high natural oil content can make it difficult to glue -- but its tightly uniform, fine grains allows it to turn, sand and finish beautifully.

carving, furniture, specialty items, turnings

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Lignum Vitae - Argentine

Without question, one of the world's hardest, most dense woods, Argentinian Lignum Vitae is very similar to its namesake -- the world's most dense wood, genuine Lignum Vitae -- in appearance, working properties and physical characteristics. (Both are classified in the same scientific family, Zygophyllaceae.) It is a beautiful wood, with heartwood colors ranging from medium to dark brown, quite often featuring green highlights (sometimes in a prominent fashion) which become more pronounced as the wood ages and is increasingly exposed to UV rays. Sapwood is pale yellow. Its grains can be straight, wavy or slightly interlocked, and it has a smooth, consistent texture and an impressive natural luster that emerges with fine-grit sanding.While its dense, hard, heavy physical nature makes it rough on blades and sometimes difficult to glue, it turns very smoothly and is extremely stable and durable.When (genuine) Lignum Vitae first made it onto CITES' Appendix II list, Verawood became more well known and popular -- commonly used as a substitute. Now that it, too, has made it onto both CITES and the IUCN's radar, it is not an easy wood to access in the US, either.

boatbuilding, construction, handles, turnings, utility lumber

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Limba

Limba has been an important wood in Africa due in part to its universal popularity. Although its population was considered threatened from over-exploitation in the first half of the 20th century, a concerted effort was made to preserve the species and expand its natural range. Regional and national programs from the '50's through the '70's across West and Central Africa were quite successful. Limba has a characteristic light base color, ranging from a pale yellow to a light golden brown, to a pale tan -- and sometimes muted to the point of having a greyish appearance. It often has dark brown or black overlapping highlights (as well as lighter colored patches, occasionally ranging from yellow to orange), which is what distinguishes White Limba (also called "Korina") from Black Limba (same wood / same species; just differing aesthetics). Its sapwood is only slightly lighter in color than its heartwood and can sometimes be difficult to discern.

Despite its medium to coarse texture and a small silica content, its typically straight grains (those sometimes irregular or interlocked) and modest hardness and density make it generally quite easy to work. Its glues and finishes well (with a moderate natural luster); its base color takes on a more golden tone under a clear lacquer finish. It is considered neither a tough nor durable wood, so such finishing is recommended.

furniture, turnings, veneer

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Louro Preto

Louro Preto is closely related to Bocote and Ziricote, also being a Central / South American wood whose species are in the Cordia genus. Its heartwood is typically a medium brown color, with both red and green tints common. The sap is easily discerned, being of a pale coloration with a base that's usually a muted yellowish hue. The wood is known to darken, considerably, with repeated UV-ray exposure. Compared with either of its aforementioned Cordia counterparts, Louro Preto is generally pretty tame in its grain patterns (which are usually either straight-grained or somewhat irregular).

It has a texture that ranges from fine to medium, and has the impressive natural luster associated with the genus.

Despite also sharing their propensity for high natural oil content, the wood usually glues well. It is known to be easy to work, although some examples may contain varying amounts of silica.

cabinetry, furniture, turnings, veneer

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Goncalo Alves

Goncalo Alves, often called “Tigerwood,” is a stunning hardwood prized for its vibrant orange hues and bold dark stripes. It’s a top choice for woodworkers and furniture makers who appreciate its strength, durability, and beautiful appearance. This wood is not only strong and capable of withstanding wear and tear, but it’s also a joy to work with. Despite its density, Goncalo Alves turns smoothly and finishes with an impressive shine. Just remember to take extra care when gluing due to its natural oils.

The wood’s unique patterns, which can range from straight to wavy or interlocked, along with its fine texture and natural sheen, make each piece stand out. You’ll find Goncalo Alves in high-end furniture, cabinets, and musical instruments like guitars, where its sound quality and affordability have made it increasingly popular. It’s also perfect for decorative items and intricate carvings, showcasing its beauty and versatility.

In short, if you’re looking for a wood that combines durability with a distinctive look, Goncalo Alves is an excellent choice. Its unique charm and reliable performance make it a favorite among craftsmen and designers.

Often quite dull, we are very proud to be able to offer such stripey stock available at the moment.

cabinetry, carving, flooring, furniture, lutherie, specialty items, turnings, veneer