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Basswood's color ranges from a pale off-white to pale yellow, to a very light muted brown. The species is known for its excellent strength-to-weight ratio, although its lack of density can make it susceptible to damage if placed under excessive weight. While species from the Tilia genus are referred to as either "Lime" or "Linden" in Europe, in North America it is commonly called "Basswood."Straight grains and fine texture combined with its soft character -- make Basswood exceptionally easy to work. It glues and finishes well, but does not bend well. Its consistency, light color, light density and hardness (bordering on that of a softwood) has made it a popular fine carving wood for centuries.

carving, fencing, musical Instruments, utility lumber, veneer

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Blackwood - African

African Blackwood is native to the seasonally dry regions of Africa, from Senegal eastwards to Eritrea and southwards to the northern parts of South Africa. Without question, the densest and most un-rosewood-like of the Dalbergia's (for our money, at least!), African Blackwood is a consistent favorite with acoustic guitar luthiers, wood turners, carvers and fine furniture craftsmen, alike. It remains one of the world's most coveted musical woods. African Blackwood often appears almost completely black, with its grains hardly discernible. (... thus the name. After sanding, a deep, very dark chocolate color emerges.)Given its trees' very small profile and the fact that they also commonly grow somewhat twisted (rather than straight up), finding long, straight boards of African Blackwood is a daunting task. It is so dark and dense, it's almost inconceivable that it is a true Dalbergia-genus rosewood. Expect exceptional pieces to command a premium, as prices have increased, while supplies have drastically decreased over the last several years.

carving, handles, inlay, turnings

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Bloodwood

Also known as "Satine," Bloodwood is an exotic South American import that continues to grow in popularity here in the states. It's dark, savory red tones, untypically do not fade, mute or darken much over time. It is known for its "satiny," highly-chatoyant finish. While the heartwood typically is comprised of red hues, it is known to have variances ranging from oranges to pale yellows, interspersed. It's impressive density makes it ideal for an electric guitar fretboard or an acoustic guitar back and sides; wood turners love it, as well, for its fabulous, unique aesthetics and very reasonable price.The reason this wood continues to grow in popularity in the US with guitar builders, gun & knife manufacturers (handles) and wood turners, is due to the exceptional aesthetics, for which the species is known, and the very reasonable board-foot prices for which these boards generally sell. Boards of exceptional quality will command a premium, but still represent a whole lot of 'bang for the buck' for an imported exotic wood.

carving, furniture, inlay, knife handles, lutherie, trim, turnings

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Common Uses

Boxwood

While the term "boxwood" has become quite convoluted over time, this species, Buxus macowanii, is considered a close cousin to 'the original boxwood.' (Buxus sempervirens). It's pale, creamy yellowish hues make it popular with wood turners and especially carvers, as Boxwood is renowned for its capacity to hold crisp, fine details and it has a smooth, very fine texture.Trees rarely make it much passed 20 feet in height and trunk diameters max out at only 6 inches in diameter. Not surprisingly, this limits its supply to primarily small, craft-sized pieces. The very small logs (if you can even call them that) it produces are often cracked, due to its tough, dense nature. Beware of other species, similar in color and density, being sold as boxwood.The Boxwood that we carry has been carefully air dried over many years and originates from South Africa.

carving, chess pieces, handles, musical Instruments, specialty items, turnings

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Boxwood - Castello

bows, carving, inlay, turnings

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Common Uses

Butternut

Known commonly by its nickname, "White Walnut" (a nickname which is well earned, as it is a member of the true walnut genus, Juglans), Butternut is considerably lighter and less dense than it's walnut (Juglans genus) compatriots; combined with its light weight and low density and hardness, it is very easy to work. Courtesy of its fluted trunks, the lumber produced by Butternut trees can have some irregular, but visually-striking, grain patterns. Found throughout the Eastern United States, Butternut's pleasant light tan coloration has gorgeous pastel look, and certain examples can exhibit a pink or reddish tint.

boxmaking, carving, crafting, furniture, veneer

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Cedar - Alaskan

Alaskan Cedar has been a wood historically embroiled in controversy with botanical and wood experts, as the wood has had its genus reclassified on six different occasions over the course of the last two centuries. Despite its relatively light weight and density, it is a very durable and rather versatile species -- having seen duty in numerous indoor and outdoor applications. The wood has also become a popular choice with luthiers, for acoustic guitar soundboards.Contrary to other published data, the typical growth range for these trees in the wild is only between 40 and 80 feet tall. Undisturbed specimens have reached heights of 100 feet and some have been reputed to be as old as 3500 years! Despite its modest weight and density figures, it is an extremely tough wood and these trees hold their own through some very challenging conditions. This makes Alaskan Cedar a very versatile wood, suitable for a wide variety of different applications.

boatbuilding, boxmaking, carving, construction, decking, flooring, outdoor furniture

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Cedar - Aromatic

A firm & stable hardwood, Aromatic Red Cedar is renowned for its durability, resistance to both rot and insects, and its wonderful, fresh, natural fragrance. With is bright pinkish red colors contrasting with a light, pale yellow base, the wood is rarely ever stained or painted. Another aesthetic trademark is the typical scores of knots which decorate its two-toned surface.The wood is fine grained, although knots and silica content can complicate what is otherwise a fairly cooperative set of working properties. It glues and finishes well, although it is very common to leave this wood unfinished so not to squelch its antiseptic aroma.

bows, boxmaking, carving, fencing, humidors, outdoor furniture, specialty items

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Common Uses

Cedar - Japanese

Japanese Cedar is the national tree of Japan, where it is highly-prized for the scented, strong, but lightweight timber it produces. It's significance extends beyond that, as its impact on Japanese culture is reflected by the fact that it is found planted at numerous sacred sites throughout the country. The wood is reddish-pink in color, straight-grained and medium textured; it glues, stains and finishes well. Its impressive strength-to-weight ratio and excellent working properties makes it ideal for all varieties of construction applications.

boatbuilding, carving, construction, furniture, turnings

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Ebony - Amara

According to the only sources we could find willing to step up to the plate on this wood, Amara Ebony and Macassar Ebony are of the exact same species (Diospyros Celebica), with the difference put forth being that Amara is exclusive to Indonesia. Amara is known for its deep chocolate browns with pink striping; the difference in its coloration and that of typical Macassar Ebony being attributed to the soil conditions in Indonesia. Its grains are more likely to be wavy or irregular than straight, with a fine texture and nice natural luster.Our experience yields a broader perspective, as we have found the wood sometimes with greens and reds, more similar to Malaysian Blackwood, at times with darker and more muted hues¬† and devoid of any pink shades. Pieces which more resemble Macassar have also contained gold - orange hues, in addition to pinks. It's sap content is tan in color and, despite its density, it has good working properties.

carving, furniture, inlay, specialty items, turnings, veneer

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Ebony - Black & White

More commonly known as "Pale Moon Ebony" to US guitar luthiers and aficionados, this Southeast Asian true Diospyros ebony is, without question, the world's most difficult, perplexing exotic wood and at times, one of its most visually stunning. (It's also one of its most sought-after.) The wood is known for the bold jet black ink lines which adorn its creamy, pale yellow base. Both the volume and pattern of its lines are unpredictable, varying greatly from piece to piece. Grains can be straight, wavy or irregular; its texture is fine, with a nice natural luster. Its hardness and density are quite moderate for an ebony.After being harvested or re-sawn, the wood exhibits a strong tendency to self-destruct -- often changing shape, cracking and checking -- if not quickly coated in wax. Although it's not currently viewed as endangered, the wood has always been in short supply in the US, despite an unquenchable demand from custom guitar builders and wood enthusiasts, alike. Other than the difficulties in drying, it has good working properties; it machines, turns, glues and finishes well.Because of its noted self-destructive tendencies, the wood is coated in wax almost immediately after being harvested. Given this, what little makes it to the US market arrives with very high moisture levels, necessitating further drying. (This is where it gets tricky.) Experience has shown that the best drying results are obtained by leaving the wood coated in wax and just patiently allowing it to air dry. Any attempts to speed up this process are very risky as the wood usually winds up punishing the impatient! Even when dried very slowly, the wood can still change shape. It's not unusual, at all, to find pieces with major surface checks and cracks that occur even while under wax. For this reason, you see significantly more craft-sized pieces than larger, resawable boards (which typically command a premium price). Recutting boards will speed up the drying process, but attentive care must be taken to prevent warpage of the cut pieces. Importation to the US has been through very limited, select channels on an irregular basis for a number of years.This wood is most always in short supply, while the demand remains constant. Rare Woods USA is very pleased to be able to offer a limited amount of larger boards and billets of this spectacular exotic wood. Lumber orders to Southeast Asia can sometimes take 12 to 18 months or more to fill, ship and receive. With the recent banning of rosewood and ebony exportation by the Laotian government, we're not sure how soon we'll be able to restock (if at all). For the last several years, US importation of Black & White Ebony has been exclusively from Laos.

cabinetry, carving, furniture, inlay, lutherie, specialty items, trim, turnings

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Ebony - Brown

Brown Ebony is not a true Ebony and it is slightly odd that this species derives its name from a genus generally known for its black coloring.¬† Like true ebonies though, Brown Ebony is very dense and hard to work.This South American species is popular for turning, musical instruments and decorative pieces.

carving, furniture, inlay, turnings

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Common Uses

Ebony - Indian

Indian Ebony is a true ebony which has been commonly used as a substitute for Gabon Ebony, due to its similar aesthetics. With a jet black base, occasional brown to muted orange striping (from mineral deposits) and a sap which can range from pale yellow to tan, one could certainly be forgiven for mistaking one for the other. That said, Indian Ebony is an exotic wood in very short supply -- more so even than Gabon. Its grains are generally straight or irregular, and its texture is fine. It has a high natural oil content, which yields a high degree of luster.

It also is a less dense and hard ebony, having a Janka Hardness rating slightly over 20% less than Gabon (2430 lbf vs. 3080). It is a very popular wood with turners, as it turns and finishes beautifully, and has good working properties. Indian Ebony is also regularly employed as an acoustic guitar fretboard, although supplies to the US luthier industry is sometimes sporadic.

carving, furniture, inlay, turnings

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Goncalo Alves

Goncalo Alves is known at least as commonly by its popular nickname, "Tigerwood" -- given for its orange-hued primary color, and the dark striped (black or dark brown) which often decorates its surface. Its great durability, impressive strength, stiffness and hardness, generally cooperative working properties (although it can be difficult to glue, due to a high natural oil content), large tree sizes -- which yield sizable boards -- and regular supply, are factors which contribute to making Goncalo Alves a very popular choice among Central & South American woods made available to domestic markets in the US.

Grains can be wavy, interlocked or sometimes straight; its texture is fine, with a good natural luster.

cabinetry, carving, flooring, furniture, lutherie, specialty items, turnings, veneer

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Ironwood - Desert

Desert Ironwood (Palo Fierro in Spanish) only grows in the Sonoran Desert in Southwestern Arizona and the Northwestern part of Mexico.? It is one of the hardest and densest woods in the world. It ranges massively in color and can have some stunning figures as a result.

carving, knife handles, turnings

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Common Uses

Jelutong

The trees which produce this light-colored Southeast Asian softwood are better known for their sap being tapped and used in the production of latex. The wood is popular with carvers who know of it, as its lack of density makes it very easy to work, the wood has excellent dimensional stability and it holds a stain or finish very well. Any applications should be limited to those of the indoor variety, as the wood is decidedly non-durable.

Its generally straight (though occasionally interlocked) grains, fine to medium-fine, consistent texture and nice natural luster render exceptional working and finishing properties.

carving, specialty items, utility lumber

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Common Uses

Leadwood

So named for its significant weight and density, this South African wood is seldom seen in the US in lumber form. Its heartwood is a robust medium to dark brown (sometimes with a reddish tint), and is known to darken with age; sapwood is pale yellow. Grains are straight or irregular, and knots are not uncommon. Its texture is fine and consistent, and it displays a pleasant natural luster after fine sanding.

Leadwood is an excellent wood for any outdoor applications where strength, insect resistance and durability are required. Its tremendous density makes it difficult to plane and hard on cutting tools and saw blades -- and its high natural oil content can make it difficult to glue -- but its tightly uniform, fine grains allows it to turn, sand and finish beautifully.

carving, furniture, specialty items, turnings

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Mahogany - Brazilian

Known in the US primarily as "Genuine Mahogany," Swietenia Macrophylla, its scientific name, is what most in the exotic lumber industry consider to be the true species when referring to "Mahogany." Historically, it has been a very economically important wood throughout the Latin America region. Its color can range from a pale pink to a light to medium reddish-brown, and it is renowned for its chatoyance. Grains vary; although generally straight, they can be interlocked, irregular or wavy, also. Its texture is fine and uniform, with a rich natural luster.

Lumber which originates from the wood's indigenous natural regions is considered to be significantly more durable and stable than its plantation-grown counterparts.

Once a mainstay in the cabinetry, furniture and guitar building industries, here in the US, Genuine Mahogany has become increasingly more difficult to source since its inclusion in CITES' Appendix II, in 2003. It is still imported, although a significantly high percentage are of plantation-grown origin -- which is less desirable and considered to be of inferior quality to that grown in native habitats.

While the net effect of all this has been to create a 'mahogany substitute' segment of the exotic wood import industry -- bringing woods such as Sapele and African Mahogany more into favor -- the demand for Genuine Mahogany hasn't waned.

boatbuilding, cabinetry, carving, furniture, turnings, veneer