Wood Descriptions
I work in many different types of wood, both domestic and exotic. Not all woods shown here are available at all times; however, I do my best to keep a good selection on hand.
- African Padauk
- Ambrosia Maple
- Black Limba
- Black Walnut
- Brazilian Cherry
- Bubinga
- Canarywood
- Cedar (Aromatic Red)
- Chechem
- Coyote
- Cypress
- Mahogany
- Maple
- Marblewood
- Mesquite
- Monterillo
- Narra
- Purple Heart
- Red Oak (Northern)
- Teak
- Walnut
- Wenge
- Yellowheart
- Zebrawood
- Ziricote
There are certain woods that are rare, more expensive and are available in limited quantities. A deposit will be required for any piece made from one of these woods. Please contact me to discuss availability and pricing.
If you don’t see a wood you like or have a special request, please feel free to contact me and I will check availability.
African Padauk
Description: Also known as African Coralwood. Highly prized for
its vibrant, vivid colors. A strong exotic wood, moderately hard and heavy.
Colors: Blood red to bright orange when freshly cut or planed, often with red or purple dark stripes; oxidizes to reddish brown if left unfinished.
Ambrosia Maple
Description: Gorgeously patterned maple wood with brown, gray,
and black striping. Its highly defined and unique patterns are caused by the Ambrosia beetle / worm, whose holes
in the tree are responsible for the distinct patterns and striping of the wood.
Colors: Cream, light brown, with brown, gray, and black striping and streaks.
Black Limba
Description: A beautifully variegated exotic wood, relatively soft and easy
to work with. A medium coarse texture. This striking wood is mainly found in the Congo region of Africa.
Colors: Pale yellow to light brown with many black streaks.
Black Walnut
Description: Now relatively scarce and highly coveted for its distinctive,
highly figured, patterns and grains.
Colors: Golden highlights in the true dark brown to chocolate brown color of its heartwood.
Bocote
Description: Sometimes known as Mexican Rosewood for its striking colors
and patterning. It is prized for its rare beauty and scarcity.
Colors: A tobacco color with darker brown to black grain accents.
Rare and expensive
Brazilian Cherry
Description: Extraordinarily beautiful high-quality wood from Central, and
Tropical, South America. Also known as Jatoba. Hard, very heavy and tough, this is one of the more popular
imported woods. An interlocking grain with a glowing golden luster. Popular for fine furniture making.
Colors: Dark orange to reddish brown, often with dark stripe or streak patterning.
Brazilian Rosewood
Description: A hard, heavy wood, known for its extraordinarily beautiful
colors. Supplies are very limited.
Colors: Can vary in color from shades of brown to red or chocolate to violet with irregular streaks of black.
Rare and expensive
Bubinga
Description: A fine grained, hard and heavy exotic wood found in Cameroon,
Gabon, and the Ivory Coast of Africa. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful of the African woods. Takes
a high lustrous finish.
Colors: Medium red-brown or red to reddish brown with lighter red to purple veins.
Canarywood
Description: A beautifully patterned exotic wood known for its lovely
colors. This striking wood is mainly found in Central and South American.
Colors: Pale yellow to a deep orange with streaks of various shades of red, purple and black.
Cedar (Aromatic Red)
Description: Soft, straight-grained with a fine, even texture. Very knotty
with the distinctive prized cedar aroma.
Colors: Light red with streaks of creamy white.
Chechem
Description: A remarkably pretty wood with lots of variation and character
from the Caribbean and Central America. Also known as Black Poisonwood and Caribbean Rosewood. Texture is fine
and uniform. Grain usually straight but can be wild and wavy with interlocking.
Colors: Dark reddish brown to orange and golden brown or tan with lots of variation and striping.
Coyote
Description: A beautiful medium to fine textured exotic wood from Central
and South America. Highly patterned with a medium to high luster. Because of its texture and beauty, Coyote is
typically used to make fine furniture, musical instruments and cabinets.
Colors: Rose red to a rich purple brown: it can include dark to medium dark streaks.
Cypress
Description: A strong but light wood, very durable and naturally resistant
to decay. A very distinct leafy grain.
Colors: A lovely pale honey color that features a contrasting patterning of darker streaks and rings.
Mahogany
Description: Beautiful high-quality wood from Central and South America. The
grain is generally straight with a fine to medium texture that is clear and with a natural luster.
Colors: Pinkish brown to a deep rich red to reddish brown as it darkens over time.
Maple
Description: Also know as Hard Maple, Sugar Maple or Rock Maple, it is known
for its durability and strength. It has a fine, even texture and natural luster.
Colors: Can vary from a cream white to a reddish brown.
Marblewood
Description: A member of the Ebony family, known for its fine and
evenly textured straight grain and attractive figuring of dark or black bands on a light grey or grey brown
background. Very distinctive. Found in Southeast Asia.
Colors: High figuring of dark or black bands on grey / brown.
Mesquite
Description: A beautiful wood; it is heavy, very hard and highly
distinctive. A pleasure to work with, it takes a beautiful high polish. Found in the SW USA and Mexico.
Colors: Brown, ranging from light to dark. However, yellows, pinks and orange/reds appear in marble like grains throughout.
Monterillo
Description: An extraordinarily rare and beautiful high-quality
wood from Central America. Also known as Tiger Rosewood. Texture is rather coarse. Straight grained, a hard and
heavy wood.
Colors: Dark brown to tan with fine black stripes.
Narra
Description: An exotic wood native to the Solomon Islands and areas of
Southeast Asia. Also known as New Guinea Rosewood. Apart from its great natural beauty, the wood is desired for
its consistent grain rendering.
Colors: Light yellow to golden- brown to reddish-brown to a distinct red.
Purple Heart
Description: Found in Central and South America where it is
also known as Amaranth, Violetwood, Tananeo and Saka. The grain usually straight, often with a fine curly
figure. It has a fine texture.
Colors: Naturally, a striking purple-violet color but can mature to more brown hues, depending on the finish used.
Red Oak (Northern)
Description: A heavy, hard, very strong wood. Straight-grained, with a
coarse texture. Very popular for furniture making.
Colors: Light brown with a reddish tinge.
Teak
Description: Also known as Jati, Teak is known for its weather resistant
properties and glowing beauty. Native to the south and southeast of Asia.
Colors: Dark golden yellow to golden brown to dark brown when aged.
Tulipwood
Description: Also called Brazilian Tulipwood, it is a classic high-quality
rare and valuable exotic wood, very dense and finely textured, with a lovely figured grain. Highly prized for the
lovely colors of its heartwood.
Colors: Streaks of yellow, rose and violet on a straw-colored background.
Rare and expensive
Walnut
Description: Also known as Black Walnut. Known for its beautiful, fine but
open grain, it has a moderately coarse texture.
Colors: Golden highlights in dark brown or chocolate brown.
Wenge
Description: Hard and heavy with a coarse texture and a regular, closely spaced straight grain. Found
in Africa. Its unique dark color and regular grain make it a prized exotic wood.
Colors: Dark coffee brown to black with fine black veining.
Yellowheart
Description: A fine, straight grained and uniform exotic hardwood. Also
known as Satinwood. Found in Central and South America.
Colors: A beautiful, bright yellow color throughout the wood.
Zebrawood
Description: Like its namesake, Zebrawood is a uniquely
patterned golden brown with highly stylized patterns. Found in Western Africa. A medium to coarse texture with
a wavy, interlocked grain pattern.
Colors: Golden brown with pronounced dark brown to black striping.
Ziricote
Description: Striking and highly accented wood, prized for its rare
beauty. Very fine texture with high density. Found in South America.
Colors: Tobacco color with darker brown to black grain accents.
