Name/Origin of
Exotic Wood |
Photo |
Finished Product Photo (if available) |
Additional Details |
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African Blackwood
Botanical
Name:
Dalbergia melanoxylon
Country of Origin:
South Africa
More African Blackwood Info |
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- Highly prized for making
woodwind instruments due to its tonal qualities
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Heartwood ranges from shades of brown to black
- Very hard, heavy, and dense
- Fair amount of oily dust
generated when cutting or sanding; good ventilation is required
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Average Specific Gravity: 1.2
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Some Common Uses:
Turnery, carving, musical instruments, various types of handles |
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Afzelia Burl
Botanical
Name:
Afzelia spp.
Countries of Origin:
Cameroon, Mozambique, Nigeria |
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- Orange-ish heartwood matures to a
deep reddish brown with exposure to air
- Dense and heavy
- Irregular, interlocked grain
- Turns and finishes well
- Recommended to rough turn this
wood and then set aside to season fully
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Average Specific Gravity: 0.82
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Some Common Uses:
Turnery, furniture, musical instruments, flooring,
veneer |
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Amboyna Burl
Botanical
Name:
Pterocarpus
indicus
Countries of Origin:
Myanmar, Laos
More Amboyna Burl Info |
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- Heartwood ranges from
golden yellow to deep red
- Also called Narra
- Fragrant
aroma
- Carves well
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Considered excellent for both turning and finishing
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Average Specific Gravity: 0.66
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Some Common Uses:
Turnery, furniture, pool-cue butts, musical instruments, handles,
veneer |
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Australian Myrtle Burl
Botanical Name: Nothofagus cunninghamii
Countries of Origin:
Australia and Tasmania |
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Also called Myrtle Beech
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Trees are host to an
orange-yellow fungus that produces sweet and edible clusters (about
the size of small apples)
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Known for having high bending
strength
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Takes a high polish
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Average Specific Gravity: 0.58
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Some Common Uses: Turnery, carving, fine
furniture |
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Black
Palm
Botanical Name:
Borassus
flabellifer
Country of Origin:
Myanmar
More Black Palm Info |
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Stringy grain
with multicolored, streak-like figure
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Dense hardwood
- Somewhat difficult to work with, requiring sharp tools
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Average Specific Gravity: 0.68
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Some Common Uses: Turnery, inlay
work, cooking spoons and other utensils |
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Black-and-White Ebony
Botanical Name:
Diospyros embryopteris
Countries of Origin:
Myanmar, Laos |
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Features distinct black streaks
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Rare species of ebony
- Turns and finishes well
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Some Common Uses: Turnery |
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Bocote
Botanical Name:
Cordia elaeagnoides
Country of Origin:
Mexico
More Bocote Info |
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Figure consists of multicolored,
wavy stripes
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Hard, dense, and fairly oily
- Can
sometimes be sliced into highly decorative veneers for paneling
- Polishes to a smooth finish
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Average Specific Gravity: 0.85
(varies widely)
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Some Common Uses: Turnery,
boxes, furniture, boat decking |
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Bolivian Rosewood
Botanical Name:
Machaerium scleroxylon
Country of Origin:
Bolivia |
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- Also known as Pau Ferro
- Sometimes used as a substitute for
Brazilian rosewood
- Heartwood is light to medium
brown or purple with dark growth lines
- Finishes well
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Some Common Uses: Turnery, musical
instruments, handles, furniture, inlay work, veneer |
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Brown Ebony
Botanical Name:
Caesalpina paraguariensis
Country of Origin:
Argentina |
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- Very dense and hard
- Stable; fairly easy to work with
- Polishes nicely
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Some Common Uses: Turnery, carving,
veneer |
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Burmese Blackwood
Botanical Name:
Dalbergia cultrata
Countries of Origin:
Myanmar, Laos, Thailand |
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- Varies in color from shades of
brown to black
- Turns and carves well
- Polishes nicely
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Some Common Uses: Turnery, carving,
musical instruments, furniture |
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Claro Walnut Burl
Botanical Name:
Juglans californica
Country of Origin:
United States |
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- Widely variable grain and color
- Wood comes from trees that are a
mixture of species, created by grafting English Walnut (Juglans
regia) to the rootstock of either Black Walnut (Juglans
nigra) or California Walnut (Juglans hindsii)
- Principally found in the Pacific
Northwest of the U.S.
- Strong yet bendable; finishes well
- Average Specific Gravity: 0.56
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Some Common Uses: Turnery, gunstock,
fine furniture |
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Cocobolo
Botanical Name:
Dalbergia retusa
Country of Origin:
Mexico
More Cocobolo Info |
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- Boasts a striking,
multi-colored appearance
- Natural oils in the wood
make it practically waterproof
- Very durable
- Needle-like crystals
embedded in the wood can cause skin irritation in some people;
other people are allergic to the wood's dust, so proper
precautions should be taken
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Average Specific Gravity: 0.89
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Some Common Uses: Turnery, handles,
inlay, veneer, chess pieces |
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Curly Bubinga
Botanical Name:
Guibourtia spp.
Countries of Origin:
Cameroon, Gabon |
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Features a captivating curly grain
pattern
- The wood's fine pores often
contain a reddish gum, which can sometimes make drying, carving,
or gluing problematic
- Cuts and finishes well;
works well with hand tools, despite its hardness
- Average Specific Gravity:
0.72
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Some Common Uses: Turnery, carving,
handles, furniture, musical instruments, veneer |
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Curly Maple
Botanical Name:
Acer
saccharum
Country of Origin:
United States |
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- Figure consists of criss-crossing
"curly" lines and streaks, which form when wood fibers
in the tree become distorted as they grow
- Heartwood is a light cream color
- Turns well
- Average specific gravity of about
0.72
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Some Common Uses: Turnery, carving,
handles, furniture, musical instruments, veneer |
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East Indian Rosewood
Botanical Name:
Dalbergia latifolia
Country of Origin:
India
More East Indian Rosewood Info |
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Considered a tonewood for its
consistent acoustic qualities
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Heartwood varies in color from rich rose to dark brown and
contains purplish-black streaks
- Dries fairly quickly with
little degrade
- Hard, heavy, dense, and
strong
- Average Specific Gravity:
0.85
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Some Common Uses: Turnery,
carving, fine furniture, musical instruments |
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Gabon Black Ebony
Botanical Name: Diospyros
crassiflora
Country of Origin: Gabon
More Gabon Ebony Info |
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Heartwood is often jet black, sometimes
with a wavy grain
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Very hard, dense, and heavy
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Somewhat difficult to work with, requiring sharp tools
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Average Specific Gravity: 1.03
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Some Common Uses: Turnery, carving,
inlay work, musical instruments, piano keys |
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Granadillo
Botanical Name:
Platymiscium yucatanum
Country of Origin: Mexico |
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Found widely throughout Latin America
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Dark brown heartwood contrasts nicely
with light yellow sapwood
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Turns and carves well
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Heavy and dense, although it has high
bending strength
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Excellent polishing characteristics
- Average Specific Gravity: 0.79
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Some Common Uses: Turnery, carving,
musical instruments, fine furniture, cabinets |
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Honey
Mesquite
Botanical Name:
Prosopis alba
Country of Origin: Argentina |
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Spiral to interlocked grain often
creates a 3D-ish appearance
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Very dense
- Honey-like scent
- Widely used in Argentina
for furniture making and fine carpentry; especially prized for its
low volumetric shrinkage
- Average Specific Gravity:
0.76
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Some Common Uses: Turnery, furniture,
flooring |
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Kingwood
Botanical Name:
Dalbergia cearensis
Country of Origin: Brazil |
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French kings in centuries past
reportedly favored this wood for their furniture; thus the name
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Very hard and heavy, and oily
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Some people are allergic to the
wood's dust, so proper precautions should be taken
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Average Specific Gravity: 1.20
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Some Common Uses: Turnery, fine furniture,
cabinets, handles, inlay work |
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Lignum Vitae (Argentine)
Botanical Name:
Bulnesia sarmientoi
Country of Origin:
Argentina
More Argentine Lignum Vitae Info |
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"Lignum Vitae" means "Tree of
Life" in Latin; also called "Palo Santo" ("Sainted Wood") in Argentina
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Very hard and dense wood
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Despite its density, cuts well
due to its natural oils
- Polishes well
- Average Specific Gravity:
1.10
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Some Common Uses: Turnery,
handles, mallets |
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Louro Preto
Botanical Name:
Nectandra mollis
Country of Origin: Brazil |
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Features a contrasting, often
wild, grain
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Sometimes used as a substitute
for the more expensive Brazilian Rosewood
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Very hard wood
- Good finishing qualities
- Average Specific Gravity:
0.70
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Some Common Uses: Turnery,
flooring, furniture, veneer |
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Page 2 (Woods M-Z) |