Spalted Maple isn't a species. It's maple with black lines and streaks caused by fungi in the early stages of decay, often in logs that have lain on the forest floor for a while before being sawn.The spalting creates random, dramatic patterns of black zone lines, sometimes with patches of pink, grey or cream, so every board is unique. Spalting can't be planned, so every piece is a one-off. The process is stopped once the wood is kiln-dried.Some pieces may have softer areas where the spalting is heavier, so check your stock, use sharp tools, and consider a sanding sealer or stabilizing before finishing. Sand with fine grits to avoid smearing the dark lines. Wear a dust mask, as fungal spores add to the dust.Spalted Maple is a favorite for turnings, bowls, boxes, guitar tops, furniture accents, carving and specialty pieces. For another spalted wood, see Spalted Tamarind, and for maple with beetle-trail streaks, see Ambrosia Maple.

Amazon Rosewood (Dalbergia spruceana) is a true rosewood from the Brazilian Amazon. It has long been considered a good substitute for Brazilian Rosewood, but its looks and tone are good enough to stand on their own.It tends toward a darker reddish-brown than Brazilian Rosewood, often with darker streaks and occasional figure. It's noticeably heavier too: Amazon Rosewood will usually sink in water, while dry Brazilian Rosewood should float.Its density makes it challenging to work, and its oils can make gluing tricky, so wipe joints with a solvent first. It rewards the effort with a fine, lustrous polish. Like other true rosewoods, it's very durable and stable once dry, and it has the classic rosewood scent when cut.Amazon Rosewood is valued by guitar makers for backs, sides and fretboards, where it gives a rich, complex tone. It's also used for fine furniture, inlay, turnings, knife handles and veneer. See also East Indian Rosewood.

Masur Birch, also called Karelian Birch, isn't a species in its own right. It's a rare figure found in some European birch (Betula pendula) that produces a marbled look somewhere between burl and birdseye.The cause of the figure isn't fully settled. Some point to insect larvae damaging the growing tree, while others believe it's hereditary, and the variety is often named Betula pendula var. carelica. Whatever the cause, the result is striking lumber, and no two pieces are alike.The wood is light brown and works much like other birch, finishing to a smooth surface that shows off the figure.Masur Birch is mostly used for accents, turnings, knife handles and other small specialty pieces. Veneer is rotary-cut, like Birdseye Maple, to show the figure at its best.

Morado (Machaerium spp.) goes by many names, most commonly Pau Ferro and Bolivian Rosewood. It grows in Bolivia and Brazil, and earned the rosewood nickname for its similar color and density, though it isn't a true rosewood.It has a medium brown base with black streaks, sometimes with purple, tan and golden hues or an overall purplish tint. The grain is usually straight to slightly interlocked with a fine to medium texture and good luster.Straight-grained pieces are very easy to work, and it turns smoothly and finishes well. It's durable, though it can be attacked by insects, and its dust can irritate sensitive skin, so use dust extraction. It's tighter-grained than a typical rosewood and a little lighter.Morado is one of the closest non-rosewood alternatives to Brazilian Rosewood. Guitar makers value it for fretboards, backs and sides, with tight lows, present mids and clear highs, and it's been used on many production electric guitars. It's also used for furniture, cabinetry, flooring, knife handles and turnings. See also Santos Rosewood.

Curly Soft Maple is Red Maple (Acer rubrum) with shimmering curl figure. Red Maple is the heaviest and most common of the soft maples and grows across the eastern US and Canada, including here in Maine.The pale white to golden sapwood is the most valued part, and the figure can include tiger stripe, fiddleback and occasionally quilt. Curl is actually more common in soft maples than in hard, so there's plenty of character to choose from. Our stock generally ranges from light to medium figure.It's a little easier to work than hard maple. Take light passes to avoid tear-out in the figure, and go slowly with high-speed tools, as maple can burn. A dye or oil finish brings the curl to life.Curly Soft Maple is popular for guitar bodies and tops, furniture, boxes, turnings, specialty items and veneer, and it's a more affordable way to get the curly maple look. For a darker version, see Roasted Curly Soft Maple, and for harder stock, see Curly Hard Maple.

Figured Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) is American Black Walnut with striking figure across the grain, such as curl, crotch or wavy figure. It's the walnut that makers save for their best work.Black Walnut is prized for its deep chocolate color, often with red or purple streaks, a fine texture and a warm luster. Figure adds shimmer and depth that a plain board can't match, and the effect shifts as you move around the piece.It's strong for its weight, stable, shock-resistant and durable, and it's a pleasure to work. Take light passes on figured areas to avoid tear-out, or use a scraper or card scraper for the final surface. An oil finish really brings the figure to life, and a clear topcoat over oil keeps that depth while adding protection.Figured boards are the most sought-after walnut, and the best pieces are limited in supply. They're ideal for showpiece furniture, tabletops, gun stocks, boxes, guitar backs, turnings and veneer. See also plain American Black Walnut and English Walnut.

Canarywood (Centrolobium spp.), also called Canary or Yellow Tarara, grows across South America, from Panama to southern Brazil. It's best known for its lively mix of colors, which makes every board a little different.The heartwood ranges from pale yellow through pink and orange to dark reddish-brown, and the best boards show the whole range in a single piece, often with darker streaks. More evenly colored boards can look a lot like Cherry. The colors deepen and mellow over time toward a warmer reddish-brown.It's durable and fairly hard, yet still easy to work. The grain is usually straight, sometimes interlocked, with a medium texture, and it turns, glues and finishes well, taking a high polish. That means you get a colorful South American hardwood without the usual struggle, and at a reasonable price.Canarywood is a great choice for boxes, turnings, inlay, bandings, furniture accents and veneer, and the right board makes a good, lower-priced alternative to Tulipwood. Not to be confused with Red Canarywood, which is a different wood from another genus.

Sipo (Entandrophragma utile), also called Utile or Sipo Mahogany, is a West and Central African wood from the mahogany family. It's considered the closest in looks to Genuine Mahogany, though it isn't a true mahogany.The heartwood is a rich reddish-brown that deepens with age. Its interlocked grain gives quartersawn boards a striking light-and-dark striped look, which can be stunning in more chatoyant pieces. It's similar to its cousin Sapele, but a little more porous and richer in color, with a more even ribbon.It's easier to work than African Mahogany, with less tear-out, and its hardness falls between that and Genuine Mahogany. It glues and finishes well and is moderately durable. Like many such woods, it can stain when in contact with iron.Its modest price has made Sipo a highly regarded mahogany substitute for furniture, cabinetry, windows and doors, boatbuilding, guitar necks and bodies, carving, turnings and veneer.

European Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus), also called French Sycamore, is a true maple, not the American sycamore or plane tree. As with other maples, the pale sapwood is the part that's prized.The sapwood ranges from almost pure white to light cream, sometimes tinted golden or muted red, while the heartwood is a medium to dark reddish-brown. The grain is usually straight, sometimes wavy, and figured boards with strong curl or flame can be truly dramatic.Its fine, even texture makes it easy to work by hand or machine, though like other maples it can burn with dull cutters or slow feed rates. It turns, glues and finishes well, with a good natural luster, and its pale color takes stains and dyes evenly.European Sycamore has been the traditional wood for the backs, sides and necks of violins, violas, cellos and basses for centuries, valued for its resonance at a moderate weight, which is why it's usually sold quartersawn. It's also used for furniture, cabinetry, flooring, turnings and veneer. For a North American cousin, see Curly Hard Maple.

Burmese Teak (Tectona grandis), often called Genuine Teak, is one of the world's best-known woods. Teak from Myanmar has long been regarded as the benchmark, and it's prized less for its looks than for its toughness, rot resistance and durability.The heartwood is light to medium brown, with a tint from muted gold to pale red, and it darkens to a warm, rich brown with age. The sapwood is pale white to yellowish-brown. The grain is usually straight, sometimes wavy or interlocked, with a coarse, slightly oily feel.Its high natural oil content makes it very resistant to weather, water and insects, and it's exceptionally stable. It generally works well, but its silica content dulls blades quickly, so carbide tooling helps. The oils can affect glue joints and some finishes, so wipe surfaces with a solvent first.Teak has always done well around water, in boats, ships and docks, and steady demand keeps its price high. It's the classic wood for boatbuilding, decking and outdoor furniture, and it's also used for flooring, carving, turnings and veneer. See also Zambezi Teak.

Zambezi Teak (Baikiaea plurijuga), also called Rhodesian Teak or Mukusi, grows on the Kalahari sands of Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia. It isn't a true teak, but it shares Teak's stability, durability and rot resistance.The heartwood is reddish-brown with prominent, irregular black lines and flecks, and the sapwood is a pale muted pink that's clearly set apart. Unlike true Teak, it's extremely dense and hard, with low shrinkage and excellent stability once dry.The grain is generally straight or slightly interlocked with a fine texture, but its density makes it very difficult to work. Its silica content can quickly dull and gum up blades, so sharp carbide tooling is a must, and pre-drilling is needed for screws and nails. When moist, it can stain in contact with iron.Zambezi Teak is famous for hard-wearing flooring, and it was used for railway sleepers across southern Africa for many years. It's also used for turnings, carving, instrument parts and veneer. For genuine teak, see Burmese Teak.

Tulipwood (Dalbergia decipularis), also called Brazilian Tulipwood or Pinkwood, is one of the most coveted and seldom-seen rosewoods. It grows in northeastern Brazil and is unrelated to Tulip Poplar, which is sometimes sold under the same name.The heartwood is cream to salmon, striped with reds, violets, purples, pinks and rose, and the sapwood is pale yellow. It has a mild, sweet scent when cut. The color slowly fades with exposure to light, so a UV-resistant finish helps preserve it.The grain is mostly straight, sometimes wavy or irregular. It's dense and oily, which makes it challenging to work and glue, so keep tools sharp and wipe joints with a solvent first. Despite its open grain, it sands very smooth and polishes to a pleasing luster.The trees are small, so long, wide boards are rare and command a premium, and most Tulipwood comes in craft-sized pieces. It's been a favorite for fine furniture inlay and banding for centuries, and it's used for boxes, turnings, pool cues, bows and instrument parts. For a lower-priced alternative, see Canarywood.

African Walnut (Lovoa trichilioides), also called Dibetou or Congowood, grows in the tropical forests of West and Central Africa. It isn't a true walnut but a member of the mahogany family, though it shares many of walnut's qualities.The heartwood ranges from golden brown to reddish-brown, often with darker streaks, and it deepens to richer brown tones with age. The narrow sapwood is grey to beige. Quartersawn boards can show a ribbon stripe much like Sapele, and figured pieces turn up fairly often.The grain is straight or slightly interlocked, with a fine to medium, consistent texture and a fine natural luster. It works, turns, glues and finishes well, though sharp tools help avoid tear-out on interlocked boards. It's lighter in weight than American walnut, reasonably stable and moderately durable.African Walnut makes a handsome, more affordable alternative to true walnut for many projects. It's used for furniture, cabinetry, paneling, flooring, gun stocks, carving, boatbuilding and veneer. See also American Black Walnut.

American Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) is one of America's most popular and prized hardwoods, and it's been a favorite of fine furniture makers for centuries. The trees are valued as much for their nuts as for their lumber.It's known for its deep chocolate color, often with red or purple streaks, along with straight to irregular grain, a fine texture and a warm luster. The sapwood is pale cream, and steamed lumber evens out the color, while air-dried boards keep a richer mix of tones.It's strong for its weight, stable once dry, shock-resistant and durable, and its moderate density makes it a pleasure to work. It planes, carves, turns and glues easily and takes an oil finish beautifully, which is why it's long been the top choice for gun stocks.Walnut grows mainly near rivers and streams in the eastern and central US and into southern Ontario. Supply is steady but demand is always strong, making it a premium domestic hardwood. It's used for furniture, cabinetry, gun stocks, paneling, turnings and veneer. For figured stock, see Figured Black Walnut.

Wenge (Millettia laurentii) is a tough Central African hardwood whose deep chocolate color is so distinctive that “wenge” has become the name of a color used by paint and furniture makers.The dark brown base sometimes carries muted gold, orange, red or burgundy tints, with overlapping black lines across the surface. The grain is generally straight, sometimes wavy or irregular, and quartersawn boards show a striking, even stripe.It's strong, durable, rot- and insect-resistant and very stable, and it glues well, though its coarse texture can make it hard to work. It's often described as dull, but in our experience fine-grit sanding of flat-sawn boards can bring out a surprisingly deep, glossy luster. It's very splintery, and its splinters are sharp and can easily become infected, so wear gloves, remove any splinters promptly and use good dust collection.Its combination of moderate weight, strength and durability makes it well suited to high-traffic flooring, as well as furniture, cabinetry, paneling, handles, bows and walking sticks. See also Panga Panga, its close cousin.

Yellowheart (Euxylophora paraensis), also called Pau Amarelo or Brazilian Satinwood, was once one of the most popular yellow woods around. True Yellowheart has now become almost impossible to find.The tree grows only in a small part of the Brazilian Amazon, mostly in Pará and Maranhão, where it occurs naturally at low densities. Decades of selective logging, along with forest clearing for cattle pasture and farming, are thought to have cut its wild population by half or more over the past 60 years. In 2014 Brazil added it to its official list of threatened species, which bans cutting, transporting and selling wild trees, and supply to the US has all but dried up. Much of the “Yellowheart” sold today is actually a different species.The color ranges from pale yellow to bright yellow and gold, and premium boards show a satiny, shimmering figure. It's fine-textured, durable and easy to work, and it finishes beautifully.We still have a small amount of legacy stock, bought before the ban, and once it's gone we won't be able to replace it. For the same golden look in a wood that's readily available, see Yellow Rosa or East Indian Satinwood.

Zebrawood (Microberlinia brazzavillensis), also called Zebrano, is a tough, durable West African wood with bold dark brown to almost black stripes on a pale gold to off-white base. Few woods are as instantly recognizable.Quartersawn boards show long, fairly even stripes, while flat-sawn boards are wavy and wild. The sapwood is pale and unstriped, so it's easy to spot. Once dry, it's a strong, stiff wood, though most people choose it purely for its looks.The texture is coarse with open pores, and the grain is often wavy or interlocked, so planing can be a challenge. Keep blades sharp to minimize tear-out, and fill the pores if you want a glass-smooth finish. It glues well and has a pleasant luster. It can be hard to dry and may warp, so quartersawn stock is the more stable choice, and small voids along the dark stripes aren't unusual.Zebrawood's looks keep it in steady demand with veneer mills around the world, which makes it moderately expensive despite good supply. It's used for veneer, fine furniture, accent panels, handles and turnings. For a lower-priced alternative, see Ababa.

Ziricote (Cordia dodecandra) is one of the most striking exotic woods in the world, famous for its “landscape” or “spiderweb” grain. It grows in southern Mexico and parts of Central America.The color ranges from medium to dark brown, sometimes with a green or purple tint, with irregular black growth rings weaving through it. The sapwood is a dull off-white to pale yellow, and boards with sapwood left on can make for dramatic contrast.Although fairly dense, its mostly straight grain and fine texture make it cooperative to work. It cuts, turns, glues and finishes smoothly. It can be prone to end checking and surface cracks as it dries, so seal ends and store it carefully.Ziricote is a close relative of Bocote, and its dramatic figure has given it something of an elite status among exotic wood enthusiasts. It's prized by guitar makers as a visually stunning tonewood, with a bright, rosewood-like voice. Supply is limited and prices are high. It's also used for fine furniture, cabinetry, gun stocks, turnings, boxes and veneer.

Shedua (Guibourtia ehie), also called Ovangkol, is a West African hardwood and a cousin of Bubinga, though it looks quite different. It's a popular African tonewood.The heartwood ranges from light to medium yellow to light orange or reddish-brown, usually with darker brown or black stripes, and the sapwood is pale yellow. Tiger stripe, fiddleback and mottled figure turn up on occasion, and boards can vary so much they look like different species.The grain can be straight, wavy or interlocked, with a medium texture and nice luster. It's tough and durable and generally works well, though its silica can gum up blades, and interlocked boards can tear out. It turns, glues and finishes well.Guitar makers use it as a rosewood alternative for backs and sides, with a similar warm tone, and some denser pieces are used for fretboards. It's also used for electric guitar bodies, furniture, cabinetry, flooring, trim, turnings and veneer.

“Pau Ferro” means ironwood in Portuguese, and the name is used for several different woods. Ours is the East African Pau Ferro (Bobgunnia sp.), also known as Pau Rosa or Snake Bean, formerly classified in the Swartzia genus.It has a glorious color palette: a dark brown base with reds, oranges and yellows, sometimes with deep red-purple tones. It reminds us of an African sunset. The grain is often interlocked with a moderately coarse texture and good luster.It's hard and heavy to work, so sharp tools and patience help, but it turns and finishes well, and the color makes it worth the effort. It's very durable and stable once dry.It's used for turnings, furniture, cabinetry, flooring, knife handles and veneer. It's different from the South American Pau Ferro used for guitar fretboards, which we sell as Morado and Santos Rosewood. See also Pau Rosa.

Pau Marfim (Balfourodendron riedelianum), also called Ivorywood or Guatambu, is a dense, fine-textured South American hardwood from Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. “Marfim” means ivory in Portuguese, after its creamy white color.Its color can range from lemon to a pale yellowish-brown, with little contrast between heartwood and sapwood, though darker streaks sometimes appear. The grain is mostly straight with a very fine, even texture, and density can vary with growing conditions.It's extremely tough and very stable, and it turns excellently. It nails, screws and glues easily and polishes to a smooth, fine finish. It's harder to work than Maple or Birch, and it isn't decay-resistant, so finish it well for outdoor use.Pau Marfim looks a lot like Maple or Birch but is more wear-resistant, which makes it an excellent light-colored flooring. It's also used for tool handles, furniture, cabinetry, carving, turnings, guitar parts and even oars and canoes. For a similar pale wood, see Hard Maple.

Pau Rosa (Bobgunnia sp.) is a beautiful, dense tropical African hardwood that's rarely found outside Africa. It was formerly classified in the Swartzia genus.Depending on where it grew, the color ranges from medium chocolate brown to an almost Padauk-like red or orange, sometimes mixed with yellows and purples, and it darkens with age. The grain is typically wavy or interlocked and the texture moderately coarse, with a nice luster.Despite its density, it's fairly easy to work: it needs sharp blades but planes well, and it turns, glues and finishes well. It dries slowly and tends to crack while drying, and the trees are short, so long boards are uncommon. Once dry, it's very durable and stable.Pau Rosa has excellent tonal properties and is under-appreciated in the US, largely because supply is so limited. It's used for turnings, carving, furniture, guitar backs and sides, and veneer. See also Pau Ferro.

Pernambuco (Paubrasilia echinata), also called Brazilwood, is the wood that gave Brazil its name. After Portuguese explorers arrived in 1500, they found it yielded a valuable red dye, called it pau brasil (“ember-red wood”), and traded it across Europe.The heartwood ranges from muted yellow-orange through orange to red or reddish-brown, slowly darkening with age. The grain is generally straight, sometimes interlocked. It grows only in Brazil's Atlantic coastal forest, much of which has been cleared, which is why the species is now so tightly protected.Despite its density, it works very well, and its fine texture finishes nicely with an impressive natural luster.Since the late 18th century, Pernambuco has been the finest wood for violin, viola, cello and bass bows, prized for its unique combination of strength, flexibility, density and responsiveness. No other wood has matched it. It's also used for carving, inlay and turnings. For a related wood, see Chakte Viga.

Pink Ivory (Berchemia zeyheri), also known as Red Ivory, is one of the rarest and most sought-after woods in the world. It's native to southern Africa, where it's traditionally associated with Zulu royalty, and many guitar makers see it as a “holy grail” tonewood.It's prized for its dazzling pink to red color, which ranges from pale pink to deep red, and occasional striking figure such as curl or chatoyant stripes. The texture is fine and even, with a lovely natural luster.It's very hard and dense, popular with carvers and turners, but it can be difficult to work and dulls blades. It turns beautifully and polishes to a glassy finish, and a finish with UV protection helps preserve its color. The trees are small, rarely much over 35 feet tall with trunks around a foot across, and harvesting in South Africa is limited by permit.As a result, Pink Ivory is mostly available in small, craft-sized pieces. It's used for turnings, knife handles, chess pieces, pool cues, pens, inlay and instrument parts. For another bright red wood, see Bloodwood.

Yellow Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), also called Tulip Poplar or American Tulipwood, comes from the tallest hardwood tree in the eastern US, and it's one of the lightest hardwoods. Despite the name, it isn't a true poplar: its tulip-shaped flowers give it its other names.The heartwood is a light cream color, often with grey or green mineral streaks, and the sapwood is ivory to white. Especially colorful boards, with streaks running from red and purple to green and black, are known as Rainbow Poplar. The green tones darken to brown with light exposure.The grain is straight and uniform and the texture medium, so it's very easy to work, and it glues and finishes well when finely sanded. It takes paint better than almost any other hardwood, which makes it the go-to choice for painted work. It's moderately durable and very affordable.It's used for paneling, painted furniture, trim and moulding, drawer sides, crafts, carving, instruments and veneer, and it's a popular electric guitar body wood. For another light, easy-working hardwood, see Basswood.

Redheart (Erythroxylum spp.), also called Chakte Kok, is a Central and South American hardwood with a bright pink to red color.The base color ranges from dull to bright pink, pinkish-red or red, with streaks of darker red, yellow, orange and occasionally purple. Like most red woods, it fades toward a brownish tone with light exposure, so a finish with UV protection is a good idea.The grain is often irregular or wild, sometimes straight, and can be wonderfully dramatic. The texture is fine and smooth, though it has little natural luster until finished. It works, turns, glues and finishes well, but dull blades can burn it when resawing, leaving a black resin that takes patient sanding.Redheart is a popular turning wood for pens, bowls and small pieces, and it's increasingly used for custom guitar necks and fretboards, inlay, boxes and accents. Its color makes it a great contrast wood in cutting boards and mixed-wood projects. For another bright red, see Bloodwood.

African Rosewood (Guibourtia coleosperma), also called False Mopane or Rhodesian Copalwood, grows in the dry woodlands of southern Africa. It's in the same genus as Bubinga, which is why Bubinga is often mistakenly called African Rosewood. It isn't a true rosewood, but it often has a similar look.The heartwood ranges from pink to reddish-brown with purple or red streaks. The grain is generally straight, sometimes interlocked, with a moderately fine texture and a good luster.It works well, though it can blunt tools, and it glues and finishes well. It needs slow, careful drying to avoid warping and cracking, but it's durable and stable once dry, which makes it suitable for outdoor as well as indoor use.The tree has many traditional uses in Africa: its seeds are eaten and pressed for oil, and its bark yields a red dye used to stain furniture. As lumber, it's used for flooring, furniture, decking, millwork, turnings and veneer.

Santos Rosewood (Machaerium spp.) is more often called Pau Ferro, Bolivian Rosewood or Morado. It grows in Bolivia and Brazil, and it isn't a true rosewood, but its color and density are close, which earned it the name.It has a medium brown base with black streaks, sometimes with purple, tan and golden hues or an overall purplish tint. The grain is mostly straight with a fine to medium texture.Straight-grained boards are very easy to work, and it turns smoothly and finishes well. It's quite durable, though it can be attacked by insects, and its dust can irritate sensitive skin. A much denser wood, Brazilian Ironwood, is also sometimes sold as Pau Ferro, but most of what's available in the US is the lighter Bolivian type.Santos Rosewood is a popular Brazilian Rosewood substitute, especially for guitar fretboards, with a tight grain and a clear, focused tone that's a little brighter than rosewood. It's also used for furniture, cabinetry, flooring, knife handles, turnings and veneer.We separate Santos Rosewood from Morado, because we have two different sources of material that differ somewhat. The same genus, but this material is far more rustic than our Morado which is the quality, grain pattern and color you will likely be more familiar with.

African Padauk (Pterocarpus soyauxii) is a strong, very stable hardwood from Central and West Africa known for its bold color, and it's a reasonably priced exotic.Freshly cut, it's a vivid orange-red, deepening over time to a robust reddish-brown. Colors can range from bright orange to muted burgundy, with grain lines in brick red or purple. The best boards have long, straight grain with ribbon figure and deep chatoyance. A finish with UV protection helps keep the color bright.The grain is mostly straight, sometimes interlocked, with large pores and a texture similar to African Mahogany. It works and finishes very well, though its fine red dust gets everywhere and can irritate, so use good extraction. The trees grow over 100 feet tall, so long, wide boards are available.Padauk is durable and resistant to insects and termites, and it's been used outdoors in Africa for centuries. It's used for furniture, flooring, trim, handles, turnings, marimba and xylophone bars, and accents. For a related wood, see Kiaat.

Panga Panga (Millettia stuhlmannii) is an East African hardwood from Mozambique and neighboring countries, and a close cousin of Wenge. The two share a large-pored, coarse texture and some of the same working challenges.It's usually a little lighter than Wenge, with heartwood from medium to dark brown and dark brown to black streaks. Darker boards are easily mistaken for Wenge and can turn almost black with age. Quartersawn boards show a striking, even striped look.It's hard, heavy, durable and stable, and it machines well with sharp tools, though the coarse grain benefits from a filler for a smooth finish. Like Wenge, it splinters easily, and the splinters can become inflamed, so wear gloves and take care when handling it.Panga Panga is better known internationally than in the US, and it's a popular, premium choice for parquet flooring in the UK and Europe. It's also used for fine furniture, paneling, stair treads, trim, turnings and veneer. It offers Wenge's dramatic look with a little more warmth.

Sapele (Entandrophragma cylindricum) is an important African hardwood from the mahogany family, grown across tropical West and Central Africa. It's one of the most popular substitutes for Genuine Mahogany, at a significantly lower price.Its color ranges from light golden brown to darker reddish or pinkish-brown, darkening with age. It's moderately durable and stable, with a beautiful natural luster and a faint cedar-like scent when cut.Sapele is famous for its figure, especially the ribbon stripe on quartersawn boards, and you'll also find pommele, quilted, mottled, waterfall, beeswing and fiddleback. Highly figured boards can command high prices. It works, turns and finishes beautifully, though interlocked grain can tear out when planed, so take light final passes.The trees grow very large, so wide, long boards are readily available. Sapele is used for furniture, cabinetry, doors, windows, guitar backs, sides and necks, boatbuilding, flooring, turnings and veneer. For a close cousin, see Sipo.

Makore (Tieghemella heckelii), sometimes called African Cherry or Cherry Mahogany, is a beautiful hardwood from the rainforests of West Africa. It's strong and durable for its moderate density, it's often used as a mahogany substitute, and it has served many roles in its native Africa for centuries.The heartwood ranges from pink to light and medium reddish-brown, with clearly paler yellow sapwood. Quartersawn boards often show striped, mottled or even beeswing figure, with a fine, even texture and a lovely luster.It's usually straight-grained and easy to work, though some boards are wavy or interlocked, and it turns well. Its silica content can dull blades, so carbide tools help, but it gives the wood a fine luster and causes no trouble with gluing or finishing. The fine dust can irritate, so use good extraction.The trees grow very tall, so long, wide and thick boards are available. Makore is used for fine furniture, cabinetry, boatbuilding, flooring, turnings and veneer, and its color makes it a handsome alternative to Cherry.

Ambrosia Maple isn't a species. It's maple, most often Red or Sugar Maple, marked with colorful streaks and small holes left by the ambrosia beetle. It's sometimes called Wormy Maple.The beetle burrows into the tree and carries a fungus with it, which feeds its young. As the fungus spreads through the sap, it stains the wood with streaks, mostly blue-grey and sometimes greenish or brown, around the small tunnels. The beetles prefer freshly cut, drying wood and don't return once it's been kiln-dried, so the holes are no cause for concern.The result is a darker, more characterful surface than plain maple, with the same high luster and often other maple figure too, so every board is unique. It works as easily as any maple. Fill the beetle holes with epoxy or leave them as they are, and go slowly with high-speed tools, as maple can burn.Ambrosia Maple isn't durable outdoors, but it's stable enough for furniture, tabletops, guitars, cutting boards, turnings, crafts and veneer. For another naturally marked maple, see Spalted Maple.

Birdseye Maple isn't a species. It's a figure found mostly in Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum), and much of ours comes from Maine. It remains one of the most coveted figured maples and is rare: only a small fraction of maple trees develop it.The cause isn't proven, but the usual explanation is that tough growing conditions make the tree sprout tiny buds that never develop, leaving small “eyes” in the wood. Eye size and density vary a lot, and boards with more eyes command higher prices. Larger eyes can look almost three-dimensional once finished, like small brown bumps on a golden surface.It works like other hard maple, but occasionally an eye can tear out and leave a small void, so take light passes and sharp blades. Some guitar makers avoid it for fretboards for this reason, or seal it with lacquer. An oil finish makes the eyes pop.It's prized for fine furniture, cabinetry, guitar necks and bodies, boxes, interior trim and veneer, and it was a favorite of Art Deco designers. For a darker version, see Roasted Birdseye Maple.

Curly Hard Maple, or Tiger Maple, is Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) with bold “tiger stripe” figure, also known as fiddleback when it's tight and even. Curl is more common in soft maples, but it appears in hard maple too, and that's what we stock.As with all maple, the pale sapwood is the most valued part. Dense, pure-sapwood boards with strong figure are the most sought-after and command serious prices with electric guitar makers. The tight curl on quartersawn boards is especially striking, with stripes that seem to move as you tilt the board.It works like any hard maple: take light passes to avoid tear-out in the figure, and go slowly with high-speed tools, as maple can burn. A dye or oil finish makes the curl pop dramatically, which is why it's so popular for guitar tops.Curly Hard Maple is a favorite for fine furniture, Shaker and colonial reproductions, boxes, flooring, cabinetry, gun stocks and veneer, as well as violin backs and guitar necks. See also Curly Soft Maple.

Soft Maple isn't a single species. It's the name for the lighter maples, and ours is Red Maple (Acer rubrum), the heaviest and most common of them, found across the eastern US and Canada. Like all our maples, it's a Maine local.As with all maples, the pale white to golden sapwood is valued more than the darker heartwood. The grain is usually straight with a fine, even texture, and it's only slightly softer than Hard Maple, so it's hard enough for most furniture.It's a little easier to work than Hard Maple, and it machines, turns, glues and finishes well. Go slowly with high-speed tools, as maple can burn, and test stains first, as it can blotch. Figure can be dramatic, from tiger stripe and fiddleback to the occasional quilt.Its extra weight makes Red Maple the most useful of the soft maples for furniture and utility work. Soft Maple is a versatile, affordable choice for cabinetry, painted furniture, boxes, turnings, millwork and veneer. For figured stock, see Curly Soft Maple.