Acacia (False) (Robina pseudoacacia)

The sapwood is narrow and pale cream in colour when first cut, with pale to brownish green heartwood similar to Mulberry and even Laburnum at times, but with a grain as prominent as Ash.

African Blackwood (Dalbergia melanoxylon)

Heartwood is dark purplish-black or brown with black streaks. Narrow sapwood is white and very clearly defined. Grain is mostly straight with a fine texture. Slightly oily with no distinct odour or taste. Dull sheen finish.

Ash (Fraxinus americana)

The colour of ash is cream to very light brown heartwood with lighter coloured sapwood. Ash has a straight, moderately open grain. It is hard, strong, stiff, high in shock resistance with excellent bending qualities and above average workability.

Bubinga (Guibourtia demeusei)

Medium red–brown with lighter red to purple veining. In the quartered figure it exhibits considerable “flame” figure and in flat sawn offers a “rosewood graining”. Texture is moderately coarse but even.

Cherry (Prunus serotina) 

The colour of cherry is light reddish-brown in the heartwood and the sapwood is nearly white. The heartwood colour will darken with age and on exposure to light. Cherry is usually straight-grained, with some figuring. Small gum pockets are normal markings.

Cocobolo (Dalbergia Retusa)

Heartwood, ranging from bright orange to deep reds and dark purple. Beautiful colour and grain, fine texture and relatively easy to work. Polishes beautifully.

* This is now  C.I.T.E.S. listed Appendix 3 *

Lacewood (Cardwellia Sublimis)

Straight grain with large rays - rays are especially visible on quarter-sawn Lacewood. Colour is Reddish-brown with a moderately coarse even texture. Wood matures to a brownish colour with age.

Lignum Vitae (Guaiacum officinale)

"Wood of Life" The heaviest densest wood in the world. Beautiful black green and brown grain. Turns very well in the lathe.  * This is no longer available as it is C.I.T.E.S. listed Appendix 2 *

Maple (Acer saccharum)

Maple is distinguished by its whiteness and superior uniformity of colour. Maple is usually straight-grained, sometimes found highly figured with curly, fiddleback, birds eye or burl grain, scattered over entire tree or in irregular stripes and patches.

Oak (Quercus spp)

White oak is similar in colour and appearance to European oak. The sapwood of American white oak is light coloured and the heartwood is light to dark brown. White oak is mostly straight grained with a medium to coarse texture, with longer rays than red oak. White oak therefore has more figure.

Pale to mid brown attractively marked with irregular grey, brown and black streaks sometimes giving the wood a marbled appearance.The grain is fine and even

Osage Orange (Maclura pomifera)

The sapwood is described as light yellow in colour.  The heartwood is greenish yellow, or golden-yellow to bright orange when first cut.  It turns russet-brown upon exposure and ages to expose dark streaks of colour.  Grain is straight and closed.

Padauk (Pterocarpus soyauxii)

The heartwood is a vivid blood red toning down to dark purple brown with red streaks upon exposure. Moderately coarse texture.

Poplar [Tulipwood] (Populus spp)

The sapwood of yellow poplar ranges from light yellow to white, the heartwood varies with colour ranging from tan to light brown and even greenish brown. Poplar has an even grain pattern. It is extremely stable, and rather lightweight.

PurpleHeart (Peltogyne paniculata)

Truly purple and a bold purple colour at that! Very dense and with fine graining. This changes to purplish brown after turning!

Snakewood (Piratinera guianensis)

Snakewood is a truly exotic species, and probably one of the most difficult species to find. The background wood is quite orange, with a very tight grain, and a moderate amount of black, irregularly shaped "leopard" spots.  *This is very rare and is not available very often.*

Spalted Beech (Fagus sylvatica)

Spalted Beech is boards of beech that have been attacked by fungi and have some striking figures and patterns on ranging from yellow to orange and dark brown with black lines.

Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus)

White to creamy-white in colour with a natural lustre. It has a uniform straight grain with a fine close, even texture. Quarter-sawn stock has a beautiful lacey figure due to conspicuous rays.

Tulipwood (Liriodendron tulipifera)

Tulipwood heartwood has irregular streaks of shades of yellow rose, pink and violet on a straw-coloured background. The colour is reported to fade with age.  Grain is straight and the texture is described as rather fine and the wood is reported to be highly lustrous.

Walnut (Juglans nigra)

The colour of the heartwood of Black Walnut ranges from light brown to chocolate brown – sometimes with purplish overtones; the sapwood is light brown. The wood is moderately heavy, hard, and strong.

Wenge (Milettia laurentii)

This deep brown and black coloured wood is heavy and dense with straight grains. It has very close, fine black veins and white lines. Texture is coarse.

Yew (Taxus Baccata)

Yew is orangish in colour and is widely used in furniture. It comes in free form material and tends to have a great deal of defects. Occasionally figured yew can be found.

Zebrawood (Microberlinia brazzavillensis)

Light golden-yellow veined with dark brown.  A hard and stable heavy heartwood timber.