# What kind of wood is this?



## abergguitars (Jul 16, 2012)

Hi!
I got this wood from my wood supplier who got it from their supplier and no one knows what it is. First I thought that it was pau ferro, but it seems to heavy. One of the pieces is 20mm x 100mm x 350mm and weighs 900g. That makes a specific gravity of 1,285 at the current moisture content, wich is around 10-12%.
The pieces in the pictures, including the mallet, are all natural, no finish is applied.
Does anyone have a clue what this could be?


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## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

Goncalo Alves? (Also known as Tiger Wood or Jobillo.)

Same coloring and grain structure as Cocobolo and Pau Ferro... 

But Pau Ferro is 55 lbs/ft3 (880 kg/m3). Cocobolo is 67 lbs/ft3 (1,070 kg/m3). Goncalo Alves is 62 lbs/ft3 (995 kg/m3) and matches the closest to your pictures.


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## abergguitars (Jul 16, 2012)

Thanks for your reply!
Yes, it could definately be Goncalo Alves. Most features seem correct. It's just the weight that doesn't make sense. My boards ar too dense. A piece of this wood will sink like a rock in water. On the other hand, I read somewhere that the specific gravity of Goncalo Alves can differ greately.


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## Woodshaper67 (Jan 13, 2012)

I would quess by your desription it is Tiger wood.


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## skiroy56 (Aug 7, 2011)

Ipe??


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Lignum Vitae has a huge range of colour, and the specific gravity is spot on...
How to Tell Genuine Lignum Vitae from Argentine Lignum Vitae | The Wood Database
Have you eliminated it from the possibles?


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## zack (Jul 17, 2012)

Tiger wood id say, take it to home depot or lowes and look at it next to a piece of their tiger wood flooring and see if it looks like it. without having a visiual to compare it too, its hard to tell, esp. by comparing weights and moisture content. does it seem to be treated with anything?


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## abergguitars (Jul 16, 2012)

Thank you for your thoughts guys!
I live in Sweden so I can't visit Home Depot or Lowes and I've never come across any of those species in Swedish flooring shops. I still think that Tiger Wood/Goncalo Alves is the most likely alternative as the appearance is extremely close. I also read somwhere that the weight of Goncalo Alves could range between 50-80 lbs/cu.ft, even though the guy who wrote it didn't really believe that it would get as heavy as that. His pieces usually stayed around 60 lb/cu.ft. 
80 lb/cu.ft would actually match my meassurements.


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## marlinjenson (Jul 24, 2012)

These Species are new for new....and thank you Guys for the info you gave about Tiger Wood. Hope it will sure come handy when i need it the most.
Thanks a lot.


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