Brown Ivory
Brown Ivory BIV
The wood is red brown which is faintly pink tinged, occasionally with a blackish streak. The texture is medium to fine and even. It is a hard timber with an attractive grain but turns well and produces a good finish. It sandpapers well and takes varnishes and oils well. Tool must be kept sharp. Please note, the image is an example of what you could create with Brown Ivory wood. Also used for furniture.
from £2.58
Chacate Preto
Chacate Preto CHAC
Chacate Preto wood is moderately lustrous with an interlocked grain and fine texture. This type of wood has been compared to another African species, African Blackwood, but is only half the price! The wood is very sturdy but not as heavy as African Blackwood. Please note, the image is an example of what you could create with Chacate Preto wood.
from £3.75

Leadwood
Leadwood LEAD
The heartwood is dark brown in colour with blackish streaks. The timber is hard, heavy and durable. It sandpapers well and takes varnishes and oils well to come up with a high lustrous finish. It needs sharp tools. It is difficult to use for furniture but is well suited to turning and carving and has even been used for machine bearing. The wood is so hard that Africans made blades for their hoes before...
from £5.94
Masasa
Masasa MAS
The heartwood is a uniform red/brown and clearly defined. Masasa is a hard timber that turns well, sandpapering and taking oils and varnish well. Tools must be sharp and used for furniture, railway sleepers and flooring. Please note, the image is an example of what you could create with Masasa.
from £2.58

Panga Panga
Panga Panga PAN
Panga Panga is extraordinary in its rarity as it is only found, in commercially viable quantities, in Mozambique. Its dark colours, with rich parenchyma bands brings a touch of exotic to finished pieces. The heartwood is extremely durable. It sandpapers well and takes varnish and oils well. It is used in furniture, turning, parquet flooring and carving. Please note, the image is an example of what...
from £2.58
Tamboti
Tamboti TAM
The heartwood is light and dark chocolate brown. The wood is hard, heavy, durable, close-grained and resistant to termites. It sandpapers well and takes oils and varnish well finishing with a satin like lustre. When freshly worked it has a distinctive, sweetish smell. The wood is almost indestructible. Samples taken from the Great Zimbabwe, carbon dates to be between 1240 and 1530 years old, were...
from £5.75

Tanga Tanga
Tanga Tanga TAN
The timber is various shades of brown with attractive bands of lighter and darker brown throughout. It is lighter in weight and softer than many of the African timbers but turns really well albeit with some interlocking grain that requires finer cutting. Haven't tried this one with an oil finish but with sanding sealer and wax it come to a lustrous shine. Please note, the image is an example of what...
from £2.58
Wild Mango
Wild Mango MAN
A stunning deep cream coloured wood with golden undertones that creates its own ambience. The heartwood has a colour yellow brown to nut brown with a subtle but attractive grain pattern. It sandpapers well and also takes varnish and oils well. It is used for furniture, flooring, turning and carving and often used for making African drums. Please note, the image is an example of what you could create...
from £2.58

Umbilo
Umbilo UMB
The heartwood is a rich warm to dark brown, sometimes with red streaks. A medium even texture, a very stable timber. It sandpapers well, and takes a varnish and oil finish well. Used in the production of handles and turns very well. Also used in furniture, cabinet making as a veneer, flooring and carving. Please note, the image is an example of what you could create with Umbilo wood.
from £2.58
African Blackwood
African Blackwood AFB
African Blackwood is very strong and tough in all categories, but is not normally used for steam bending due to its weight and density. It has a severe blunting effect in tools, Tungsten-carbide-tipped tools are required for conversion. It can be difficult to work but turns well. Pre-boring is necessary for nailing and screwing, and screw threads can be tapped into it almost as well as in metal. It...
from £6.95