# Mahogany



## Woodworkers Source (Apr 9, 2009)

*Mahogany*

Any discussion of Mahogany may be complex and confusing because there has been a lot of change in the past few years and the term "mahogany" has been applied to several woods for marketing purposes. There is no botanical connection among these different woods. I will try to keep this short and to the point but there is a lot of information available.

Today the primary "mahogany" in the marketplace is

*African Mahogany*, _Khaya spp._ 








African Mahogany has been on the US market for a long time but its use dramatically increased after 2003 when South American Mahogany, _Swietenia macrophylla_ was listed in CITES. African Mahogany became the most available and affordable substitute. Today this is the most widely used wood called "mahogany". It is not related to South American Mahogany but has a similar look and even though it is more brittle it has acceptable working properties.

There are several species of _Khaya_. The most acceptable as a substitute is _K. invorensis_. This species makes up most of the African mahogany on the international market. While this is the most desirable species it maybe sold in a mixture with other _Khaya_ species including _K. anthotheca , K. grandifoliola , and K. senegalensis_. Origin of lumber can sometimes help identify specific Khaya species. This may be valuable information since differences in some properties can be appreciable. Supplies of African Mahogany lumber are abundant, and it can be found in a wide range of sizes at moderate prices. It is also available in veneer and plywood from many lumber suppliers. African mahogany is frequently used to replace South American mahogany because it is cheaper, easier to obtain, more abundant and can be used for the same applications.

In general this wood works quite easily in all operations, but if the grain is interlocked it may be difficult to surface without tearing out. *HERE* is our wood library page for more information.

Other woods that may be marketed as mahogany are:

*Sapele*, _Entandrophragma cylindricum_, a much larger African tree and more widely distributed than Khaya. It is a good working timber with a finer grain texture than Khaya. Some wood experts believe Sapele will become the African mahogany of choice in the future. 

*Sipo*, _Entandrophragma utile_, another good working wood from Africa but grows more slowly and is more sparsely distributed than Sapele. Sipo is the European favorite.

*South American Mahogany*, _Swietenia macrophylla _
This wood is from Central or South America and may be named Mahogany, Honduras Mahogany, South American Mahogany, American Mahogany or Genuine Mahogany. For the past 200-300 years this species was the choice of furniture makers. Originally stock was harvested from Honduras; however, during the twentieth century Brazil provided most of the material but the name Honduras Mahogany continued to be used. Most current stock comes from Peru or Central America. 

Effective Nov 15, 2003 Mahogany came under the international trade restrictions for items listed in CITES Appendix II. Appendix II includes species not necessarily threatened with extinction, but in which trade must be controlled in order to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival. Consequently, additional permits are required to harvest and export the wood, supplies of lumber have decreased and the price has increased dramatically. South American Mahogany will continue to be available but supplies will be limited and prices will be much more than they were just a few years ago. 
For more information on CITES go here: *Welcome to CITES*. 

Genuine Mahogany ranks among the finest cabinetry wood in the world. Its working characteristics are outstanding for all processes, including cutting, shaping, turning, and sanding. The grain is moderately open so filling is required to obtain a glass smooth finish. Since the CITES listing the woodworking community continues to search for a substitute for Swietenia macrophylla but no other wood has the exceptional grain and working properties. 

*Cuban Mahogany*, _Swietenia mahagoni_. Early American furniture makers preferred this species. Today there is no commercial source for this wood but some comes on the market from time to time due to hurricane damage.

*Philippine Mahogany*, _Shorea spp._ This term is not used much anymore but was quite common 50 years ago. This large family of trees produces wood with somewhat of a mahogany look, it is widely distributed throughout the Pacific islands and is inexpensive. Meranti and Lauan are the names generally used.

*Lyptus*, A plantation hybrid of _Eucalyptus_, has been developed in South America by Weyerhauser as an environmentally friendly alternative mahogany substitute. *Here* is more information.

Other woods, Santos mahogany, Andiroba mahogany, Mountain mahogany and others, are not related to either Swietenia or Khaya, but are attempts to pickup on the mahogany name or promote a wood as a mahogany substitute. I expect we will see more of this in the future and the confusion will increase.

For your next project consider African Mahogany. It is economical, works well and takes a fine finish. If price is no issue, consider Genuine Mahogany, Swietenia macrophylla, by what ever name it is available; otherwise, consider Sapele or Sipo. Try Lyptus for a unique and sustainable wood. South American Mahogany is best for outdoor applications.

Please tell us about your experience with Mahogany or just add a comment.


----------



## westend (Mar 31, 2009)

Another good article, thanks. I did not know that there were so many flavors of mahogany. Then again, haven't used any in quite awhile. I used to work with it in the sailboat fitting business, making all sorts of covers, trim, and fixtures. It was a superior wood for saltwater environment. I do have a piece of Honduran Mahogany I've been saving. It is a 2"+ piece that was destined for a guitar body. That project has been on hold for a long time. Your species article reminded me of it and maybe it's time I put that in the queue


----------



## BobandRick (Aug 4, 2004)

The is a great article, has anybody made a project with African Mahogany. We would sure like to hear from you. Please post your experiences here in this thread.


----------



## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

Good article, until you got down to the Philippine mahogany, I was wondering if perhaps I had lost it somewhere. When in school I did a project out of Philippine mahogany. Don't remember much about it other than the color. Sometimes I think I have lost my mind but then I remember that it is backed up on hard drive somewhere.

Again good article.


----------



## RustyW (Dec 28, 2005)

Thanks for the info Keith. I've allways heard lot's of talk about Mahogany, but never had any to work with. I have had a little Sapele, since my local lumber yard has been loaded with it lately.


----------



## jmg1017 (Apr 9, 2009)

I haven't seen a piece of Phillipine or Hondurus Mahogany in quite a while. Just not available around here anymore. What I have been substituting is Sapele, which Keith describes above. Very similar in appearance though in my opinion a bit softer. It's the wood I used on my daughters jewelry box project, and I use it frequently in drawer construction as it makes the dovetails pop when used with drawer fronts.


----------



## Woodworkers Source (Apr 9, 2009)

jmg1017 said:


> I have been substituting is Sapele, ... Very similar in appearance though in my opinion a bit softer.


Every board is different but I am surprised about Sapele seeming to be softer than South American Mahogany. The Forest Products Lab tech sheets show hardness ratings as follows:

Mahogany 740 green; 800 dry
Sapele 1020 green; 1500 dry

The higher the rating the harder the wood. Mahogany is quite variable depending on where it was grown but Sapele is usually quite a bit harder.


----------



## gregW (Mar 14, 2007)

Most of my experience working with hardwoods has been limited to red oak. After reading the write ups that Keith Stephens posted on Mahogany, Ash and Lyptus I decided to use all three of them in a project to get some experience working with them. 

I posted a thread with pictures of my mahogany, ash and Lyptus box project here:
http://www.routerforums.com/guide-bushings-templates/15625-elliptical-box.html


All three of the woods machined nicely, but without a doubt the African mahogany was the nicest of the three to work with. It seemed to be a lot less dense than the ash and lyptus and the tight grain structure machined beautifully with absolutely no tear out. I’ll definitely be using it again in other projects.

The white ash actually machined almost identically to what I am used to from my experiences with red oak. In fact the grain structure in the piece I was working on looked a lot like the oak that I am used to.

The Lyptus was the most challenging of the three to work with. At first I got a little burning and tear out on my initial cuts with the router, but after cranking up the speed and adjusting my feed rate I was able to correct those issues.

I really enjoyed working with all three of the woods and I appreciate Keith taking the time to post the write ups.


----------



## Woodworkers Source (Apr 9, 2009)

Thanks for posting your experience with these woods. Part of the fun of woodworking is that each species has its own characteristics and challanges.

You detailed explanation and pictures make your write up very useful for others. Nice box too!


----------



## CNCWOODWORKER (Oct 19, 2009)

I've had a lot of experience with Lyptus and African Mahogany. I much prefer African Mahogany for it's look, machinability, color, weight, and finishing characteristics. That being said, at the time Lyptus was cheaper, so we used a lot of it too. Lyptus is very hard, and was hard on our tools. The cutters had to be cleaned daily to remove the resin left behind. It is also very heavy and hard to cut. We had to do a lot of experimenting to get the right feeds and speeds to produce good quality cuts with out CNC's and moulders. And did I mention that it was very heavy? lol I got that one from the guys every day...


----------



## laxknut (Oct 17, 2008)

*mahogany*

Thanks for the interesting write-up.
A few years back, I decided to stop using tropical woods in projects, and began using hardwoods native to my region. As woodworkers, we need to begin to take more responsibility for the over-harvesting of exotic woods that results in severe damage to ecosystems that do not recover easily. We all take pride in craftsmanship that will last for many generations, but what does that pride mean considering that forests are wiped out in the process? 
Something to think about...


----------



## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

several years ago, I hooked up with a local shop teacher who sold me some 100 odd oak desk legs. During the conversation he mention he had some odds and ends laying around the shop and if I were interested.........
long story short, I bought 2 large boxes of what he called mahogany. Mostly 5x5x24's, several larger, a few smaller.. maybe 50 pieces in total. Sat em in my shop and thats where they have stayed. After reading this post.. me thinks I got 2 boxes of the real deal down there. Cool!! Thanks for the info...


----------



## Woodworkers Source (Apr 9, 2009)

Bill, I agree we all must be concerned about the rain forest and I certainly agree with using local woods. It behooves us all to learn more about our environment and to use our resources wisely.

The rain forest is destroyed when it is converted to another use...usually agriculture, ranching or living space. This conversion is motivated by these other uses having more current value than the forest. To save the forest we must give it value and we give it value by using the forest and its products. I suggest that using exotic woods and lesser known species helps give the forest value. Using the forest is not destroying the forest.


----------



## BigJimAK (Mar 13, 2009)

+1 on Keiths post... and even as we work to change its higher current value, for land that is cleared, the wood is put to a much better use in furniture than as firewood or in a smoldering burn-pile.


----------



## istracpsboss (Sep 14, 2008)

I could weep when I think of the huge quantities of mahogany thrown in skips (dumpsters across the pond) when places like banks were modernised. All the old counters were made of huge pieces of the stuff and just went to tips.
Old billiard tables had big pieces of mahogany in them, too.

Cheers

Peter


----------



## laxknut (Oct 17, 2008)

Use of woods culled from Rainforests-(plural, there are many) is an important issue deserving serious consideration. Reading the last few posts, it seems there is room for discussion here. There is no doubt that high quality hard- and softwoods get wasted and/or used for firewood every day. This is a waste in most cases, but it depends entirely upon perspective.
I can assure you, Iv'e severely damaged my back and broken winches, clutches, racks and truck suspensions etc. in the process of saving quality wood from the "chipper" or the firebox. Iv'e been booted out of tipps, or "disposal sites" for salvaging mahogany pallets and other quality wood. Iv'e worked on two continents as a timberframer and house carpenter, building (fill in the blank) outhouses to spiral stairways. Iv'e Felled trees for large in situ construction projects, and in the recent years tried to focus on window, door and furniture building. 
My point is this; We all want to work with quality woods. Woods such as mahogany are cut down at rates much faster than they can be replaced. It is true that some of these tropical hardwoods are slash burned, and that is a shame- anything done to prevent this is a noble deed, (even if done at considerable profit) On the other hand, in underdeveloped countries, specifically Central and South America this presents a big problem: Companies both large and small that encourage the harvesting and exporting of tropical hardwoods do nothing to replant them. This is the root of the problem, and somehow in the industrial age, this basic premise of sustainability has been all but lost.
You need to replace what you use, or see to it that someone is doing it through your money spent.
If you don't care about the condition of forests beyond the time you die, your children/offspring, and/or future generations will suffer for it.
If you buy unstamped- or "uncertified" tropical hardwoods, you are most likely a part of the problem. 
I for one, have children and I would hope that their's will live on a planet where old growth forests still exist and function. 
I have the ability to see to it that wood I use is replanted because I do it myself with my own hands or pay someone else to do it for me through buying local hardwoods.
I consider this responsibility, if others have a different definition of responsible, I'm all ears.
Happy new year, and hopefully the year after that, for your children's sake.
Bill.


----------

