Imported & tropical hardwoods

Mahogany, sapele, teak, iroko, and the imported hardwoods of modern joinery.

• MahoganyA reddish-brown hardwood long prized for fine furniture, though not everything sold under the name is a true mahogany.
• RosewoodNot one timber but several dense, dark hardwoods valued for a finely figured grain running from tan to deep violet-brown.
• TeakA heavy, durable hardwood grown across India and South East Asia, long the standard choice where strength must survive damp or the sea.
• EbonyA dense, very hard, dark timber used for durable furniture, cabinet fittings and small decorative parts.
• MerantiA group of related timbers, including white seraya, whose uses vary depending on which one is meant.
• GreenheartA very heavy, hard-wearing timber chosen for marine work and other jobs demanding strength and resistance to wear.
• IrokoA timber often used in place of teak, workable by hand or machine though its interlocked grain can tear.
• PadaukA richly coloured reddish hardwood, chiefly the African species, sold under a name that has long blurred several distinct woods.
• RaminA timber used for plywood, interior woodwork, furniture and other light joinery parts.
• PurpleheartA timber used in joinery, and how it works.
• UtileA timber used in joinery, and how it works.
• ObecheA hardwood chosen above all for how easily it cuts, working cleanly with both hand tools and machines.
• JarrahA heavy, hard Australian hardwood, also traded as Swan River mahogany, with strength to match its weight.
• AfrormosiaA dense West African hardwood used for durable joinery, furniture and other work, often treated as a substitute for teak.
• SapeleA cabinet timber used for furniture, joinery, flooring and decorative veneers, with a grain that needs reading before it is cut.
• ZebranoA timber used in joinery, and how it works.
• JelutongA timber used in joinery, and how it works.
• BubingaA timber used in joinery, and how it works.
• KeruingA timber easy to saw and machine when freshly cut, though its silica content quickly dulls cutting edges.
• WengeA timber used in joinery, and how it works.
• EkkiA heavy, dense hardwood traded under the name azobe, used where exceptional strength and durability are needed.
• IdigboA timber used in joinery, and how it works.
• AccoyaA timber used in joinery, and how it works.