Hardwoods (Cabreuva - Lyptus)

This is a beautiful exotic from Central America and is considered an excellent substitute for rosewood. The heartwood is a rich red with variegated streaks of yellow, orange and red, includes many hues of the rainbow. The grain can be irregular and the wood is very dense at approx. 61-75 lbs/ft³. Keep your tools sharp!! Use this wood for highly decorative work.

Brazilian teak

From South America, it is known for its exceptional hardness and durability; colours ranging from light tan to a reddish brown – sometimes with black stripes. This is a sustainable alternative for Burmese teak, with the added benefit of being more than three times as hard. Consider it for both exterior and interior projects, and is especially suited for interior flooring.

African Ebony

This very dense wood from Africa is typically jet-black. Again keep your tools sharp; with a density of approx. 63-64 lbs/ft³. It can be highly polished. We see it commonly used as fret boards on musical instruments.

Complementary veneers available.

Dipterocarpus spp.
family Dipterocarpaceae

Carya spp.
family Juglandaceae

This is wood is domestically grown, and is typically straight-grained. It is medium brown with a light reddish hint with fine brown lines. It is considered a moderately difficult wood to work with but has high crushing strength and shock resistance. It is used extensively for tool and sports equipment handles.

Complementary plywood available.

Ilex spp.
family Aquifoliaceae

Grown world wide, the soil and climate dramatically affect its colour, and due to very specific cutting specifications, good white stock is a challenge to obtain. Consider using an alternate such as Eastern maple or basswood.

Tabebuia serratifolia
family Bignoniaceae

A strong, tough, resilient wood. It is olive-brown in colour; aging naturally to a light silver grey colour. It is twice as dense as most woods and up to five times harder with a density of 60-75 lbs/ft³. It has a Class “A” fire rating in the US.

African Teak

This is a West and East African wood with a golden-orange to brown colour. The grain is interlocked, sometimes irregular and the texture rather coarse. It is a medium density wood, and although works satisfactorily with hand and machine tools there can be moderate to severe blunting on the cutting edge. It can be considered a substitute for teak in marine applications.

Hymenaea courbaril
family Leguminosae

This species grown in Central and South America. It is moderately difficult to work because of its high density of approx. 56 lbs/ft³. The grain pattern is similar to the mahoganies. We see it commonly used for flooring and stairs. This wood stains very well.

Acacia koa
family Leguminosae

Originating in Hawaii, this wood is not as readily available as in the past. The warm brown wood works well and provides an excellent finish. The grain is interlocked, sometimes producing figure such as curly or fiddleback. The density is approx. 41 lbs/ft3.

Platanus hybrida
family Plananaceae

Used as a boulevard planting in Europe, this wood grows throughout Europe and Western Asia. The heartwood is light reddish-brown with very conspicuous decorative fleck (lace), ranging from lace-like patterns to large splashes. We see it commonly used for furniture.