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Burl Woods
Amboyna Burl
Australian Mallee Burl
Australian Burl Caps
Australian Myrtle Burl
Austr. Red Box Burl
Austr. Yellow Box Burl
Buckeye Burl
Madrone Burl
Maple Burl, Big-Leaf
Myrtle Burl
Thuya Burl
Walnut Burl
Other Exotic Burls

Assorted Woods
African Blackwood
Asian Satinwood, Figured
Australian Banksia Pods
Australian Myrtle, Figured
Bi-Colored Woods
Bocote

Bubinga, Clear & Figured
Bubinga, Curly
Bubinga, Waterfall (Slabs)
Burmese Blackwood
Canarywood
Cocobolo
Ebony, Black (Gabon)
Ebony, Black (Indian)
Ebony, Black-and-White
Ebony, Brown (Argentine)
Ebony, Macassar
Ebony, Mun
Granadillo
Guapinolillo
Guatemalan Mora
Hawaiian Koa
Holly
Jicarillo
Katalox
Kingwood
Leopardwood
Lignum Vitae
Louro Preto
Macadamia Nut
Maple, Birdseye
Maple, Curly
Maple, Figured
Marblewood
Mesquite (Honey)
Mesquite (Black)
Monkey Pod
Mopane
Olivewood
Osage Orange
Padauk
Palm, Black
Palm, Red
Pink Ivory
Purpleheart
Redheart
Rosewood, Bolivian
Rosewood, Burmese
Rosewood, Caribbean
Rosewood, East Indian
Rosewood, Honduran
Rosewood, Yucatan
Satine
/Bloodwood
Snake Wood

Spalted Tamarind
Spalted /Salvaged Woods
Tambootie
Teak (Burmese)
Tulipwood
Walnut, Curly & Figured
Wenge
Yaje
Yellowheart
Zapote
Zebrawood
Ziricote

Other Exotic Woods

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Exotic Wood Facts

Monkey Pod

Monkey-pod (Pithecellobium saman), samon in Spanish, is a fast-growing tree that has been introduced to many tropical countries throughout the world from its native habitats in Central America and northern South America.  It is known under a wide range of common names, such as Albizia Saman, Saman, Rain Tree, and of course Monkey Pod.

The tree is believed to be introduced into Hawaii in 1847, when Peter A. Brinsmade, a businessman visiting Europe, returned to Hawaii with two seedlings. One of the seedlings was planted in downtown Honolulu, the other at Koloa on the island of Kauai. These two seedlings may be the progenitors of all the monkey-pod trees now found in Hawaii. Monkey-pod wood is normally considered easy to work due to its low shrinkage during drying allowing it to be machined while green, but may be difficult at times due to its cross grain. Items made from green wood can be dried without serious drying degrade. In Hawaii, monkey-pod has been the premier craftwood used for carved and turned bowls since the 1940's. As labor costs increased, however, the industry spread to the Philippines and Thailand, which now supply most of the monkey-pod bowls for which Hawaii is famous.

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