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Snakewood

Brosimum guianense
• Also known as |
Amourette|Letterwood|Snakewood
Snakewood Lumber @ Rare Woods USA

Snakewood is one of the rarest and most visually distinctive woods in the world. Its pale yellow, orange-brown, or reddish-brown background is covered with a dense pattern of dark brown to black markings that closely resemble snakeskin, giving the species its unmistakable name. The grain is typically straight, and the texture is exceptionally fine, allowing finished pieces to take on a remarkable natural luster.

Renowned for its extreme density and hardness, Snakewood is among the most challenging woods to work. It can be brittle and prone to splintering or cracking during machining, requiring razor-sharp tooling and careful handling. Despite these challenges, it turns beautifully and can be polished to an extraordinary finish, making it highly sought after by fine craftsmen.

The tree itself is relatively small, producing slender trunks that limit the size of usable lumber. As a result, Snakewood is rarely available in wide boards and is most commonly sold as small billets, turning blanks, scales, pen stock, bow blanks, and specialty craft material. Long, wide boards are virtually unheard of.

A member of the Brosimum genus, Snakewood is closely related to Bloodwood and shares the same exceptional density, strength, and durability. Its dramatic appearance and rarity have made it a favorite for high-end knife and gun handles, fine inlay work, luxury pens, musical instrument components, violin bows, and custom woodworking projects where no substitute will do.

Due to the small size of the trees and the limited yield of defect-free material, Snakewood is often considered one of the most expensive woods in the world on a per-board-foot basis. Every usable piece represents a remarkably small portion of the original log, making this species as rare as it is beautiful.

This species is not currently listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

There has been a lot of heavy poaching going on throughout Central America — particularly in Mexico — and this wood is the most coveted in the entire region. Get this wood while you can, as its exportation will more than likely only become more restricted in the next year or two.

Why We Love This Wood

Terribly hard to work, but WOW WOW WOW!!!

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Snakewood Lumber @ Rare Woods USA
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A Popular Choice in
fine furniture specialty items turnings
Vital Statistics
Main Color GroupVariegated
Grain Pattern Figured
Avg Dry Weight - LB/BF6.3
Avg Dry Weight - KG/M31210
Janka Hardness - LBF3800
Janka Hardness - N16900
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SNAKE1008 1
Snakewood
SNAKE1008
6.75"
x 5.5" x
48.44"
| Grade: U
5”-6.38” width. You are buying two half logs from the same log.

$2,205.28

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SNAKE1006 2
Snakewood
SNAKE1006
4"
x 7" x
47.63"
| Grade: U
6.5-7.5” width. 3.25”-4.5” thickness.

$1,690.92

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SNAKE1004 2
Snakewood
SNAKE1004
3.5"
x 7" x
51.25"
| Grade: U
Consistent.

$1,811.04

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snakewood
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Description

Grade

UOM

Price

Snakewood-Ungraded-Halflogs
Half logs
Ungraded
lb
28
lb
no
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    Snakewood
    Snakewood
    SNAKE1006
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