African Mahogany 4/4 and Honduran Mahogany 8/4

   Honduran Mahogony (Swietenia macrophylla) is what most consider to be the real and true species when referring to “Mahogany.” An incredibly important commercial timber in Latin America, Honduran Mahogany is now grown extensively on plantations. It has been widely exploited, leading to its inclusion on the CITES Appendix II in 2003. In effect, this limits the international exporting of the lumber to certified sustainable sources. (This is also why many lumber retailers located in the United States are unable to ship Honduran Mahogany outside of the country.) Substitutes sometimes used are African Mahogany or Sapele.

   Honduran Mahogany’s easy workability, combined with its beauty and phenomenal stability have made this lumber an enduring favorite. Mahogany is commonly used for: furniture, cabinetry, turned objects, veneers, musical instruments, boat-building, and carving.

   Typically very easy to work with tools: machines well. (With exception to sections with figured grain, which can tearout or chip during machining.) Slight dulling of cutters can occur. Sands very easily. Turns, glues, stains, and finishes well. Heartwood color can vary a fair amount with Honduran Mahogany, from a pale pinkish brown, to a darker reddish brown. Color tends to darken with age.