What Type Of Mahogany

[spazzyone]

can someone tell me what type of mahogany this is

i was told that its honduran but i have no clue

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d38/femflyr8fan/aug.jpg

dampend with a little water

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d38/femflyr8fan/aug-1.jpg

[Jon]

can someone tell me what type of mahogany this is

i was told that its honduran but i have no clue

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d38/femflyr8fan/aug.jpg

dampend with a little water

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d38/femflyr8fan/aug-1.jpg

None of the African Mahogany I have worked with has looked like that. My guess would be Honduran, as all of the Philippine Mahogany I have seen looks like a lighter colored Mahogany.

[Mattia]

That looks terribly red; could be red meranti (ie, phillipine, some of which is very pale, some very red, generally heavier and 'better' wood), might be some sort of mahogany, but none of the honduran or african varities I've got pieces of (Khaya, Sapele, Sipo, Cuban, Honduran...) looks anything like that. How heavy is it? Does it have a tendency to split?

Looks like nice wood, though.

[Vince D]

Its not honduran, I have some peices of bolivian mahogandy thats 60 years old that look some what similar to that.

[fryovanni]

It is very hard to say. Weight and texture are the biggest clues, and a pic makes it tuff to identify. Be careful using color as the primary identifier. I have seen a wide range of color in genuine Mahogany(shades of yellow/gray/orange/brown). There is very little wood that is actually from Honduras (it was overharvested years ago). Most "Honduran" or genuine(as it is sold today) would be from other areas in the region(not that it is a huge deal). The highly prized "Honduran" was from massive old growth trees, and that is a resource that is all but gone.

Peace,Rich

[spazzyone]

it weighs 16lbs 18"x14"x2"as for splits none are visible

its open grain but not as much as my B.C.Rich that i know is mahogany

that wet pic does look very red but not as red in person though

thanks for your input

[Southpa]

One noticeable characteristic of most of the Honduras mahogany I've worked with is tiny white streaks mixed into the grain. I'm told these are mineral accretions common to this wood. Also, the grain has tiny crosshatchings throughout. I've seem some pieces where its more noticeable and almost has an overall checkerboard effect.

[Mattia]

Not all my honduran has mineral deposits, and some of my African does, as does some meranti I've found around. For the size you've got, 16 lbs is very heavy, about 2 lbs heavier than my calculations and the upper range of normal densities for any of the 'mahoganies' (ie, Swietenias or the African varieties, which are in the same family). It's ballpark for heavy Meranti or light-ish/moderate weight Merbau.

Again, though, this doesn't say much at all, and a photograph is almost never going to let you get a conclusive ID, certainly not with something mahogany-like.

[fryovanni]

That is pretty heavy for Khaya/Sapele/Genuine/Red/Guat. Does the wood seem to be notably harder than what you are used to. As Mattia suggested Meranti or Merbau or maybe even a light Santos. Surface hardness may be a clue. Honestly what really counts is if you like the wood. So the species really makes little difference.

Peace,Rich

[spazzyone]

thanks to all for the info though im still clueless

it is hard as a rock not ebony hard but close

im going to rip a little of one edge to get a feel for it

and see how hard it is to cut

but the only thing ill be able to compare it too is a peice of

quartersawn hard rock maple so ill see wich is easier to rip with a new blade

and the maple came from the exotic woods company wich i highly recomend

for quartersawn neck blanks as mr gidwani has some excelent woods

http://exoticwoods.com/

his are not cheap prices but he has awsome figured woods and his shop is

less than two miles from my house. if anyone considers buying from him

let me know and ill take pics of several examples of your needs and e-mail them

to ya

[fryovanni]

thanks to all for the info though im still clueless

it is hard as a rock not ebony hard but close

im going to rip a little of one edge to get a feel for it

and see how hard it is to cut

but the only thing ill be able to compare it too is a peice of

quartersawn hard rock maple so ill see wich is easier to rip with a new blade

and the maple came from the exotic woods company wich i highly recomend

for quartersawn neck blanks as mr gidwani has some excelent woods

http://exoticwoods.com/

his are not cheap prices but he has awsome figured woods and his shop is

less than two miles from my house. if anyone considers buying from him

let me know and ill take pics of several examples of your needs and e-mail them

to ya

Ok, If it is that hard you can toss Santos Mahogany in the mix, and rule out Khaya, Sapele, Honduran, etc....

I bet you could take it to exoticwoods and ask them 90% chance they would ID it in a heartbeat.

Peace,Rich

[spazzyone]

thats what im gonna do my next trip there

i just did not want to

show up there to ask a question if im not buying anything

thanks to all for your help

[erikbojerik]

Let me get out my Magic 8-Ball....

"Signs point to bloodwood."

[Jon]

Let me get out my Magic 8-Ball....

"Signs point to bloodwood."

Exactly what I was thinking. The grain looks nothing like what I've seen on Mahogany. But I'd need a closer look to see the grain holes.