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BAMBOO is light in color & is one of the fastest growing plants in the world. Some growing 39 inches in a 24 hour period. Bamboo is a diverse tree that can be found in cold mountains or hot tropical areas. Besides being 99% of a panda’s diet, bamboo is used for culinary, medicinal, construction, landscaping, furniture, textile, musical instruments & paper uses. |
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BLACK PALM is from Southeast Asia. The tree can grow to heights over 100 feet and can live over 100 years. The tree bears fruit that contains a sweet jelly. Black palm also has a sweet sap, called Toddy. The Toddy is used to make palm wine. Don’t drink too much because Toddy is a natural laxative. Black Palm is an extremely hard wood to turn due to its stringy, hard and dense grain. It is not recommended for a novice wood turner to use. However, Black Palm yields a very beautiful finish with distinctive grain that varies from black, white to brown. |
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INDIAN ROSEWOOD is a hard, dense, & strong wood. It’s colors range from a rich rose to deep brown, with purplish- black streaks.Indian Rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia) is popular among woodturners, wood carvers, furniture makers, & used for musical instruments. Indian Rosewood is native to India and Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Nigeria & Kenya as well. Indian Rosewood trees can grow to 100 feet, with trunk diameters approaching 2.5 feet. Freshly cut Indian Rosewood has a pleasant aroma, but the scent fades as the wood dries. The color of Indian Rosewood will darken somewhat over time to a deep brown, but the embedded dark streaks will always remain prominent. |
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PADAUK (Pa-dook) is a decorative, sustainable hardwood from central & West Africa. This wood has orange & red tones in color. When it is first cut, it is bright red but when exposed to sunlight, this wood fades over time to a warm brown. Padauk is known to be used easily by hand or by using machine tools. Since Padauk is resistant to termites, it is used in boat building & high end cabinetry.Some types of Padauk are used as herbal medicines to treat skin parasites as well as fungal infections. |
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Rosewood refers to many richly hued timbers, often brownish with darker streaks, but found in many different tones. All rosewoods are strong and heavy, that offers an excellent polish. This wood has many uses, from guitars, marimbas, billiard cues, the black pieces in chess sets, handles, furniture, & luxury flooring. All genuine rosewoods belong to the Genus Dalbergia. It is best known as Brazilian Rosewood, but also as “Rio Rosewood” or “Bahia Rosewood.” This wood has a strong sweet smell, which persists over the years, explaining the name “Rosewood”. |
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Wenge (Weng-gay) is native to the Republic of Congo and other small countries of West Africa. The tree can grow to 90 feet with a bowl as large as 3 to 4 feet in diameter. Its uses range from wood canes, musical instrument parts to paneling veneers and flooring. It sands relatively easy but its long coarse textures can tend to tear out making it difficult for finishing. Wenge dust from sanding can cause dermatitis similar to the effects of poison ivy. The bark of the trees is ground into a powder to numb fish for harvesting. Proper protective clothing and respirator are a must when working with Wenge. It is not recommended for the novice wood worker and brings a high value to finished products. |