inxilpro
March 7, 2011, 1:40am
1
There’s a new blog post on RealMatcher :
The problem is that many lumberyards are selling people meranti (Shorea spp.) as mahogany…and it is not. Merchants will separate 125 different species of Shorea into four different groups according to their color and weight (dark red, light red, white and yellow). Grain direction is usually unpredictable and the white version is high in silica which dulls cutters while the dark red and yellow tend to warp. While dark red is only moderately resistant to rot - light red, white and yellow are not durable in conditions where they are exposed.
Read full blog post: When is Mahogany Not Really Mahogany?
bking
March 7, 2011, 1:58am
2
The light red version is also called Philippine Mahogany or better known as Luan or Lauan.
jhagarty
December 1, 2011, 11:32am
4
mlarson
December 1, 2011, 12:27pm
5
Read the source article here:
http://bct.eco.umass.edu/publications/by-title/wood-myths-facts-and-fictions-about-wood/
When you buy mahogany you get mahogany.
Order mahogany at your local lumber yard and you’ll probably get a pretender. True mahogany or American mahogany (Swietenia spp.) comes from the West Indies, Mexico, Central America and South America. It is a premium furniture and shipbuilding material. True mahogany is prized for its beautiful dark red appearance, dimensional stability, termite resistance, machining qualities, and decay resistance. A related African mahogany (Khaya spp.) is also available, but is not as durable as true mahogany. The real problem is that many lumber yards sell you Meranti (Shorea spp.) as mahogany. Philippine mahogany is meranti. It is not mahogany.
Merchants separate 125 species of Shorea into 4 groups of meranti. It is separated according to color and weight: dark red, light red, white, and yellow. The grain is usually interlocked. White meranti dulls cutters because it has a high silica content. The dark red and yellow varieties tend to warp. Dark red is only moderately resistant to rot. Light red, white and yellow versions are not durable in exposed conditions. So if you buy mahogany clapboards or decking, beware. Ask: what species?