Picana Negra (Cordia alliodora) is a South American hardwood from the same genus as Bocote, and some boards show similarly striking grain patterns. With its dark brown tones, black streaks, and fine texture, it offers both beauty and versatility. Weighing around 800 kg/m³, it’s well-suited for musical instruments, fine furniture, and decorative work, prized by craftsmen for its workability and smooth finish.

Ababa is a lesser-known West African hardwood prized for its durability and warm, earthy tones. With a medium to coarse texture and interlocked grain, it machines well and finishes beautifully, making it suitable for furniture, cabinetry, and interior joinery. Naturally resistant to decay and insects, Ababa is also valued in select outdoor applications. Its combination of strength, workability, and understated elegance makes it an appealing alternative to more commonly used tropical species.

Introducing Yellow Rosa, a premium hardwood from the Aspidosperma genus. Prized for its vibrant yellow hue, Yellow Rosa serves as an excellent alternative to traditional Yellowheart. While predominantly golden, some boards display patches of soft pinks and oranges, reminiscent of the classic tones found in Peroba Rosa (another species in the Aspidosperma genus). This fine-textured, durable hardwood is well-suited for high-end furniture, flooring, and precision woodworking. Whether you’re crafting timeless interiors or standout statement pieces, Yellow Rosa offers a perfect balance of beauty, strength, and workability.

Gorgeous colors and grain patterns have resulted in the exploitation of this beautiful species for use in production of "Hongmu" furniture. It looks similar in appearance to Kiaat/Muninga, another member of the Pterocarpus genus. We only have a few hundred BF of this endangered species left and don't expect to get any more when it runs out.

Longhi is an African wood with similar working properties to its more well-known cousin, Anegre. Its color varies from a greyish-white to beige to pinkish-brown color, which slightly darkens with age and UV-ray exposure. Its generally light appearance makes sapwood difficult to distinguish. Its grains are typical straight (though occasionally interlocked) and its texture ranges between fine and medium-fine. It can sometimes possess mottled or subtle tiger-striped figuring.

The wood must be carefully dried, as it is susceptible to fungus. It is considered to be moderately durable, and moderately stable. Longhi has a solid strength-to-weight ratio, which makes it a popular choice for flooring and decking.

Heartwood can vary from pale yellow to a light, muted reddish brown; sapwood is grayish-white. There are many species of Birch, worldwide; it is one of the most popular woods, ironically, for both veneer and utility applications. Figured pieces are the more desirable for veneer, with wide, dramatic curly figuring (similar to Cherry) decorating the surface.

American Birch works easily -- it turns, glues and finishes well -- although most boards have very little natural luster. It's a versatile wood that can be used for a number of different applications, but it needs to be protected, as the wood will decay when exposed to the elements. (... and if left unprotected will rot.)

Considered to be the most abundant hardwood in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, Red Alder has long been used in the region for furniture and cabinetry production -- as well as being a popular choice for electric guitar bodies dating back to when the instrument first went into mass production, in the 1950's. Ranging in color from a light tan to reddish brown, Alder has a soft, lightweight stature -- which makes the wood very easy to work, and it finishes and glues well.

Red Alder is usually sold in two different grades: knotty, and clear. Clear grades are most desired by cabinet and furniture crafters. Many such tradesmen compare the wood's cooperative disposition to that of Black Cherry.

Although technically a hardwood, care must be taken with Alder until finished as its surface can be rather soft (thus, denting easily). The wood is decidedly non-durable, so confining its use to indoor applications and treating the wood with some type of hardening finish (such as lacquer) is recommended.

Renowned for its vibrant purple hues, Purpleheart is not only visually striking but also one of the toughest woods in the world. Known for its exceptional stiffness and hardness, Purpleheart boasts an impressive strength-to-weight ratio, making it one of the most durable hardwoods available. Its natural water resistance, combined with its durability, has made it a popular choice for outdoor applications, such as decking and even truck bed flooring.

The wood typically features a straight or wavy grain, though some pieces may show more irregular patterns. Its texture ranges from fine to medium, and it has a natural luster that emerges beautifully when finely sanded. Purpleheart works well with sharp tools, making it suitable for turning, carving, and other detailed work. It also glues and finishes nicely, but sharp blades are essential for optimal results.

When first cut, Purpleheart has a dull brown color with faint purple tones. However, within minutes, it transitions into a range of rich purple hues, influenced by factors like species and growth environment. With continued exposure to UV rays, the color gradually darkens to a deeper brown with purple undertones. This color shift can be slowed with a finish that includes UV inhibitors, preserving the wood’s vibrant purple appearance.

Despite its generally cooperative workability, Purpleheart’s hardness and density can cause challenges if tools are dull. When resawing with a dull blade, the wood may overheat and release a black, tar-like resin that requires careful sanding to remove.

Although Purpleheart grows across a wide range in Central and South America with 23 recognized species, its popularity in recent years has led to overharvesting in some areas, putting pressure on certain populations. Conservation efforts are important to ensure the sustainable use of this remarkable wood.

Denser than East Indian Rosewood, Honduran Rosewood is well known for being the preferred wood for Marimba bars, with its ringing, well-rounded tonal properties. It compares well to Brazilian Rosewood (many claim it actually superior), producing a well-balanced acoustic guitar, with great projection and strong lows and highs. (In fact, during the '50?s and '60?s, the great flamenco guitar crafters considered it to be the only acceptable substitute to Brazilian Rosewood.)

Honduran Rosewood's grain lines are unusually tight and straight (though sometimes wavy or interlocked). The color ranges from a medium tan to a brownish brick red color, medium brown (sometimes with a purplish tint) or even a medium to dark burgundy, with occasional dark brown or black ink lines. Due to the wood's density and high oil content, it can be difficult to cut, machine and glue. Its texture can range from fine to medium; (not unlike Braz Rw) it is porous, and those pores are usually medium- to large-sized. As would be expected -- given its oily nature -- the wood has a rich natural luster.

Honduran Rosewood has grown difficult to obtain in recent years, due to a poaching epidemic in Belize which victimized the species in 2011 and 2012. Despite a wane in its supply lines, demand for the wood remains constant. Every major source we could find were unanimous in listing "2200 lbf" as the Janka Hardness rating for this wood, but we consider this figure to be very suspect. Most knowledgeable sources compare its weight and density to Brazilian Rosewood. The same sources list Bocote's Janka Hardness at 2200 lbf, also, and the Hon Rw examples we have handled are far more dense than any Bocote. (Some darker examples were more along the lines of a Cocobolo-type density.)

Loosely translated as “Ironwood”, Pau Ferro is the common name for a variety of lumber species. The East African variant we have here (also known as Pau Rosa to some) has a glorious color palette. A dark brown base with reds, oranges and yellow tones - it reminds us of the African sunset…

It is hard and heavy to work, but the vibrant colors make it worth the effort! Pau Ferro / Pau Rosa was originally part of the Swartzia genus, but it was reclassified as Bobgunnia in the last 10-15 years. It turns and finishes well.

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.