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With an unceasing worldwide demand, Gabon Ebony remains one of the world's most expensive exotic woods. Trees are small and slow growing, contributing to its high price tag. Given this, finding long, undefective boards is quite rare; such pieces always command premium prices. Its signature jet black heartwood (which can sometimes contain streaks of browns, golden browns and even greys), combined with its great strength, durability and density, gives it universal appeal with instrument craftsmen.

Its dark neutral color and ability to hold detail makes it very popular with wood turners and carvers, also. The wood's very high oil content yields a magnificent natural luster when sanded, although, as would be expected, this characteristic can pose challenges when gluing.

musical Instruments, specialty items

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Ebony - Macassar

Macassar Ebony is known for its typically striped appearance, with usual colors typically dominated by deep browns although green, yellow, burgundy, red, orange and even peach secondary colors can highlight more spectacular pieces. Sapwood can range from a dull tan to a light golden brown, or sometimes even a muted orange, peach or light pink. In addition to its constant demand with veneer mills, it is highly-prized by guitar luthiers. Its great density gives the wood tremendous resonance, making it ideally suited for acoustic guitar back-and-sides or fretboards.Macassar Ebony is noted for its striped appearance, although finding long, consistent grain patterns can be difficult on longer pieces. Usually its stripes are fairly large and bold -- often with twists and overlaps -- although occasionally (more desirable) pieces with fine, tight-knit, consistent striping can be found.Like many woods of comparable density, it can be difficult to work and hard on blades, but that is of little concern to those who have experience with this regal ebony species. Southeast Asia produces some astounding exotics; Macassar Ebony is, most certainly, one of its renowned, trademark species.

cabinetry, crafting, pool cues, specialty items, turnings, veneer

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Beech - American

Both American Beech and its European counterpart are known for their pale cream coloration, which is often augmented by a pink or light- to medium-colored muted reddish-brown hue. Its medium texture and typically straight grains and sometimes wavy, give it excellent working properties. American Beech cuts, turns, glues and finishes very well and has a moderate natural luster.Flat-sawn pieces usually have very plain-looking aesthetics; the bulk of which is used for utility purposes. Conversely, quartersawn pieces typically exhibit a silvery fleck pattern -- which lends the wood well to furniture and musical instrument applications, with more exquisite examples often finding their way to veneer mills.

flooring, furniture, specialty items, turnings, veneer

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Berlinia

Known in the US, primarily as either "Ebiara" or, its nickname, "Red Zebrawood," Berlinia's heartwood can range anywhere from a pale yellow to a (more typical) muted reddish-brown. Darker colored stripes in patterns (which can be symmetrical or irregular) are how the comparisons to Zebrano are drawn, although they are related: each of their respective genera are part of the Detarieae tribe, in the subfamily, Caesalpinioideae.Grains are general straight or interlocked. Although its texture is medium to coarse, it has a high degree of natural luster and can display figure and chatoyance. It works well -- cutting, turning, gluing and finishing smoothly -- although tear-out with interlocked grains is not uncommon.

cabinetry, furniture, specialty items, turnings, veneer

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Birch - Flame

Flame Birch is not a species in and of itself, but rather the name given to Yellow Birch with a beautiful flamed figure across the grain. Yellow Birch heart wood 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 and 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.

boxmaking, crafting, specialty items, turnings, veneer

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Blackwood - Knysna

Blackwood - Acacia Lumber @ Rarewoods SA

A close cousin to Hawaii's coveted Koa, Australian Blackwood is growing in popularity as it becomes more known in both guitar and furniture-building circles. Its name is misleading, as there are no black hues ever seen in its grains. Highly-figured lumber is not uncommon, nor are pieces with a shimmering chatoyance, reminiscent of Koa. Hardwood colors can range from a light golden brown to various dark shades of brown; streak and highlights of various differing colors is not uncommon. Sap colors can range from tan to a dull light gray, and is clearly demarcated. Its grains can range from straight to wavy to interlocked, and its texture is typically fine, with an impressive natural luster.Other than the occasional tear-out, issues associated with lumber with interlocking grains, the wood is very easily worked. It turns, glues, and finishes well. Australian Blackwood also bends easily, which combined with its toughness and durability,¬† has made it an historically popular wood in Australia for boat building.

boatbuilding, cabinetry, furniture, gun stocks, specialty items, turnings, veneer

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Bocote

With colors ranging from its typically golden brown base, to its dark brown and black striped accents, the surface of Bocote is perhaps best known for the many tiny "eyes" adorning the grain patterns of the highly-decorated, more visually stunning examples of the species. (These eyes are not to be confused with knots, as they pose no issues when machining.) The striking aesthetics that higher-grade pieces possess, make this wood coveted among furniture and cabinet craftsmen, as well as both acoustic and electric guitar luthiers.

boatbuilding, cabinetry, fine furniture, flooring, gun stocks, specialty items, turnings, veneer

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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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Bubinga

As most of you already know, this is an extremely popular African import. Found across equatorial Africa, there are multiple species of the Guibourtia genus that are known as Bubinga, so colors and aesthetics can vary dramatically. A variety of different, quite stunning figures often decorate its grains (pommelle, waterfall, mottled and wildly flamed). The base color of Bubinga can range from a lighter pinkish red to light- to medium-brown. Trees can grow to towering proportions, so the larger specimens are often cut into large, live-edge slabs.Bubinga is well known for its use as a Rosewood substitute. Ironically, the more strikingly figured examples of Bubinga with pommelle or waterfall figuring can fetch prices greatly eclipsing typical rosewood price thresholds. This wood has become hugely popular and is constantly in demand with veneer mills & furniture craftsmen who love building desks and conference tables with the often stunning, huge slabs and progressive guitar luthiers.Its nickname, "African Rosewood," can be very misleading, as the wood is not of the Dalbergia species, and not all wood sold as "African Rosewood" is Bubinga (or is even of the Guibourtia species).

cabinetry, fine furniture, inlay, specialty items, turnings, veneer

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Rosewood - Brazilian

With its outstanding strength-to-weight ratio, density, stability and resonance, it is easy to see why Brazilian Rosewood became the wood synonymous with "rosewood" in the world of both acoustic and electric guitar building, in the last century. It is also renowned for its use in fine furniture, cabinetry, as veneer and paneling, and more. Its wide popularity and huge demand led to its eventual placement on CITES Appendix I, back in early 1992. Not only is it illegal to import or export the wood from one country to another, but it is also illegal export finished products containing the legendary Dalbergia.The wood is typically a dark chocolate brown, although it can possess varying degrees of reddish or purplish tint, as well as having a variety of secondary colors sometimes woven in to its grains. Grain patterns can run the gamut -- from straight, to interlocked, wavy or irregular -- with a medium texture that can be quite porous. Brazilian Rosewood is generally considered a cooperative working wood, although its density requires sharp tools and blades. It finishes well and has a nice natural luster, although -- with its high natural oil content -- it can be difficult to glue.

cabinetry, flooring, furniture, musical Instruments, specialty items, turned objects, veneer

M3	LENGTH	THICKNESS	TOTAL WIDTH	+- PCS
0.1	2.45	26mm	1570mm	9-12
0.1	2.45	38mm	1075mm	6-9
0.1	2.45	50mm	816mm	4-7

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Free shipping within South Africa on all orders over R1,000 placed through our online shop*

- Huge stocks of exotic timber from the four corners of the earth

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CONTACT US - CAPE TOWN

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