Acacia has a unique history amongst woods, in that the furnishings of the Biblical tabernacle, sometimes referred to as the “Tabernacle of Moses” were made out of acacia wood. Some translations of the Bible use the term “shittam tree” rather than acacia, but the shittam is one of the many variants of the acacia. But … Read more
The pecan tree is a member of the hickory family, making pecan wood and hickory wood essentially the same. While there are differences between the two, it takes a close look at the end grain, with a magnifying glass to find them. Most vendors lump the two together, listing them as Hickory/Pecan, both as solid … Read more
Wenge is a beautiful hardwood that comes mostly from the countries of Tanzania and Mozambique in Africa. It is also sometimes referred to as African Rosewood for its similarity in appearance to other varieties of Rosewood. The heartwood is a rich, dark brown color, with black streaks in it. It is extremely dense and hard, … Read more
Ebony has long been a popular wood, especially for use in musical instruments. The black keys on a piano are traditionally made of ebony, woodwind instruments might be carved out of it and ebony is a favored material for guitar necks and other guitar pieces. Yet this may all change soon, as the various species … Read more
Meranti plywood, long known as Philippines Mahogany, is a product of the Red Mahogany tree, which grows in Indonesia and the Philippines. However, the name “Philippines mahogany” doesn’t just apply to the wood of one tree, but rather to several trees which produce similar looking wood with similar characteristics. This makes actual identification of the … Read more