Name/Origin of
Exotic Wood |
Photo(s) Click to enlarge
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Additional Details |
African Blackwood
Dalbergia melanoxylon
South Africa
More Info |
![](images/African_blackwood/AfrBla_example3_small.jpg) |
![](images/customers_works/African_blackwood_carving_small.jpg) |
- Shades of deep brown to
black
- Hard &dense
- Turning, carving, musical
instruments, handles, inlay
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Average Specific Gravity: 1.2
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AFZELIA BURL
Afzelia africana
Southern Africa, South East Asia |
![](images/other_burls/A-Old/Afzelia_Burl-003_small.jpg) |
![](images/other_burls/A-Old/Afzelia_Burl-002_small.jpg) |
- Orange-ish to Reddish brown
- Hard & Dense
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Interlocked Grain
- Turns & Finishes Well
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Specific Gravity: .60 - .80
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Amboyna Burl
Pterocarpus
indicus Myanmar, Laos
More Info |
![](images/amboyna_burl/amboyna_example_small.jpg) |
![](images/customers_works/knifewithamboynahandle_small.jpg) |
- Golden yellow to deep red
- Turning, carving, furniture, pool-cue butts, musical instruments, handles
- Average Specific Gravity: 0.66
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ASIAN SATINWOOD Lagerstroemia spp. Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar |
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![](images/Asian_satinwood/Asian_satinwood_square_small.jpg) |
![](images/customers_works/Asian_Satinwood_Collection_small.jpg) |
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Curly/fiddlebacked
grain pattern
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Creamy
white to light tan
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Hard & dense
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Turning, carving, furniture,
floors
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Average Specific Gravity: 0.51
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Australian Brown Mallee Burl
Eucalyptus spp.
Australia |
![](images/AustBrownMallee/Australian_Brown_Mallee_Burl_example_small.jpg) |
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Turning. finishes well
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Hard and dense
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Often with natural edge
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Average Specific Gravity: 0.68
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Australian Myrtle
Nothofagus cunninghamii
Australia and Tasmania |
![](images/AustMyrtle/Australian_Myrtle_square_small.jpg) |
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Turning,
carving, cabinets, furniture, flooring
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Hard & dense
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polishes nicely
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Average Specific Gravity: 0.58
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Birdseye Maple
Acer saccharum
U.S. and Canada
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![](images/birdseye_maple/Birdseye-1.5x1.5_small.jpg) |
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Consists of small "eyes"
in figure
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Hard & dense
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Turning, carving, musical
instruments, fine furniture
- Average Specific Gravity: 0.52
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Gabon
Black Ebony
Indian
Black Ebony
Diospyros
crassiflora,
Diospyros ebenum Gabon
and India
More Info |
![](images/peppermill_blanks/Gabon_Ebony_peppermill_small.jpg) |
![](images/customers_works/Indian_ebony_knife1_small.jpg) |
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Very hard & dense
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Turning, carving, inlay,
musical instruments, handles
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Average Specific Gravity: 1.03
(Gabon), 0.84
(Indian)
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Black
Palm
Borassus
flabellifer
Myanmar
More Info |
![](images/other_woods/black_palm_small.jpg) |
![](images/customers_works/BlackPalmChopsticks_small.jpg) |
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Multicolored/streaky
grain/figure
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Hard & dense
- Difficult to work
- Turning, inlay, utensil
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Average Specific Gravity: 0.68
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Black-and-White Ebony
Diospyros embryopteris
Myanmar, Laos |
![](images/black-and-white_ebony/BWEbony_square_small.jpg) |
![](images/customers_works/BWEbony_duck_calls1_small.jpg) |
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Distinct black/white streaks
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Rare species
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Hard & dense
- Turning, inlay
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Bocote
Cordia elaeagnoides
Mexico
More Info |
![](images/bocote/bocote_square_small.jpg) |
![](images/customers_works/bocotebowl_small.jpg) |
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Multicolored
wavy stripes/figure
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Hard & dense
- Turnery, boxes, furniture,
decking
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Average Specific Gravity: 0.85
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Bolivian Rosewood
Machaerium
scleroxylon
Bolivia |
![](images/other_woods/BolRo-1.5x1.5_small.jpg) |
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- Also known as Pau Ferro
- Light to
medium brown or purple grain
- Turning, carving, handles
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Average Specific Gravity: 0.85
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Brown
Ebony
Caesalpinia paraguariensis
Argentina |
![](images/other_woods/Brown_Ebony_square_small.jpg) |
![](images/customers_works/brown_ebony_duck_call_small.jpg) |
- Hard & dense
- Turning, carving, handles
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Average Specific Gravity: 1.19
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Bubinga
Guibourtia spp.
Cameroon, Gabon
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![](images/bubinga/bubinga_square_small.jpg) |
![](images/customers_works/dl_call_bubinga2.jpg) |
- Light
reddish-brown
- Turnery, carving, fine
furniture, handles, musical instruments
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Average Specific Gravity: 0.88
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Burmese Blackwood
Dalbergia
cultrata
Myanmar, Laos,
Thailand |
![](images/Burmese_blackwood/Burmese_blackwood_square1_small.jpg) |
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- Brown to black
- Turning, carving
- Polishes nicely
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Average Specific Gravity: 0.76
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Burmese Rosewood
Dalbergia
oliveri
Myanmar |
![](images/Burmese_rosewood/Burmese_Rosewood_square_small.jpg) |
![](images/customers_works/Burmese_rosewood_bowl_small.jpg) |
- Burgundy to light brown
- Hard and dense
- Turning, carving,
furniture, instruments, cabinets, handles
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Average Specific Gravity: 0.78
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Canarywood
Centrolobium spp.
Brazil |
![](images/other_woods/Canarywood_example_small.jpg) |
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- Yellow and
orange/red streaks
- Hard & strong
- Turning, furniture,
cabinets
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Average Specific Gravity: 0.65
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Caribbean Rosewood
Metopium brownei
Mexico |
![](images/Caribbean_rosewood/Caribbean_Rosewood_square_small.jpg) |
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- Also known as Chechen
- Hard & dense
- Turning, handles, flooring,
furniture
- Takes lacquer finish well
- Dust can cause respiratory problems
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Average Specific Gravity: 0.63
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Cocobolo
Dalbergia retusa
Mexico
More Info |
![](images/cocobolo/cocobolo_square_small.jpg) |
![](images/customers_works/cocobolo_bowl_small.jpg) |
- Multi-colored appearance
- Contains natural
waterproofing oils
- Hard, dense & durable
- Wood oils and dust can cause skin
and lung irritation -so proper
precautions should be taken-
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Average Specific Gravity: 0.89
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COFFEE BURL
coffea arabica
Indonesia
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![](images/other_burls/Coffee_Burl-080_small.JPG) |
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- Yellow-White Burl
- Turns Well (Work Slowly!)
- Finishes Well
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Average Specific Gravity: .52 -
.75
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Curly Bubinga
Guibourtia spp.
Cameroon, Gabon |
![](images/curly_bubinga/Curly_Bubinga_square_small.jpg) |
![](images/customers_works/curly_bubinga_watch_small.jpg) |
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Reddish brown with lighter red to purple veins
- Finishes & works well
- Hard & durable
- Average Specific Gravity:
0.72
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Curly Maple
Acer saccharum
U.S. and Canada
More Info |
![](images/curly_maple/curly_maple_example_small.jpg) |
![](images/customers_works/curly_maple_carved_horse_small.jpg) |
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Features a
striking pattern of wavy lines
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Turning, carving, furniture, handles, musical instruments
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Light cream to reddish tan
- Turns & finishes
well
- Average Specific Gravity:
0.72
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East Indian Rosewood
Dalbergia latifolia
India
More Info |
![](images/East_Indian_rosewood/East_Indian_Rosewood_square_small.jpg) |
![](images/customers_works/EIR_vase_small.jpg) |
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Hard & dense tonewood
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dark rose/brown with purplish-black
- Turning, carving,
furniture, instruments
- Hard, heavy, dense, and
strong
- Average Specific Gravity:
0.85
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Granadillo
Platymiscium yucatanum
Mexico |
![](images/granadillo/Granadillo_square_small.jpg) |
![](images/customers_works/Granadillo_bowl_small.gif) |
- Heavy, hard, dense, and
durable
- Work, turns & finishes well
- Turning, furniture,
cabinetry,
- Average Specific Gravity:
0.79
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Honduran Rosewood
Dalbergia stevensonii
Belize |
![](images/Honduran_rosewood/HonRos-turning_square2_small.jpg) |
![](images/customers_works/Honduran_Rosewood_sculpture_small.jpg) |
- Dense and durable
- Turning, instruments,
handles, furniture
- Turns and finishes well
- Average Specific Gravity:
0.96
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Katalox
Swartzia cubensis
Mexico |
![](images/katalox/katalox-3x3x12_small.jpg) |
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Medium to dark reddish brown
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Hard & dense
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Turning, carving, handles,
cabinets
- Average Specific Gravity:
0.92
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Kingwood
Dalbergia cearensis
Brazil |
![](images/kingwood/Kingwood_examples_small.jpg) |
![](images/customers_works/kingwood_inlay_closeup_small.jpg) |
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Two tone grain
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Hard & dense
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Turning, carving, furniture,
cabinets, handles, inlay
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Dust may cause allergic
reactions
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Average Specific Gravity: 1.20
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Leopardwood
Panopsis rubellens
Brazil |
![](images/leopardwood/Leopardwood_square_small.jpg) |
![](images/customers_works/leopardwood_sculpture_small.jpg) |
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Lace wood ace-like figure
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Fairly course texture
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Medium hard
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Works & finishes well
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Lignum Vitae
Bulnesia sarmientoi
Argentina
More Info |
![](images/Argentine_lignum_vitae/Lignum_Vitae-8x8_small.jpg) |
![](images/customers_works/lignum_vitae_head_carving_small.jpg) |
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Hard & dense wood
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Works & polishes well
due to its natural oils
- Average Specific Gravity:
1.10
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Louro Preto
Nectandra mollis
Brazil |
![](images/louro_preto/Louro_Preto_example_small.jpg) |
![](images/customers_works/rw_louropreto_parker_small.jpg) |
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Two-tone contrasting grain
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Hard & durable
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Works & finishes well
- Average Specific Gravity:
0.70
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