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  #1  
Old 04-01-2014, 07:50 PM
jdale jdale is offline
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Mystery Wood

Wood worker buddy of mine gave this chunk of wood to me, not sure what it is. The guy that gave it to him said it was ironwood, which I immediately knew it wasn't. My friend dosent know what it is so I am thinking its not a domestic species. I'm leaning towards koa due to the open end grain and banded chatoyance.

Anyone have any ideas what it is?

The wood density calcs out to 46.18 lb/ft3

I put water on the wood in these pics
[IMG][/IMG]








Last edited by jdale; 04-01-2014 at 07:57 PM.
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  #2  
Old 04-01-2014, 09:58 PM
AAK AAK is offline
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It looks like the "ironwood" I got in Hawaii. They couldn't tell me what it really was but I believe it is this.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casuarina
I still haven't used any of it but it seems fairly hard and doesn't float in water so it should be a fairly decent handle material except for the boring figure, at least in the pieces I have.
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  #3  
Old 04-01-2014, 10:00 PM
AAK AAK is offline
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On second thought, the grain looks a lot more open than what I have, so probably not "Hawaiian ironwood".
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  #4  
Old 04-01-2014, 11:03 PM
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Woodchuck Forge Woodchuck Forge is offline
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Looks like mahogany.


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  #5  
Old 04-02-2014, 05:33 AM
jmccustomknives jmccustomknives is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Woodchuck Forge View Post
Looks like mahogany.
It does resemble some golden mahogany I have. Mahogany has a particular pungent oily smell when its sanded. There are many versions of this wood, some not true mahogany.
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  #6  
Old 04-02-2014, 05:48 AM
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My guess is some type of mahogony.


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  #7  
Old 04-02-2014, 11:16 PM
georgeg97322 georgeg97322 is offline
 
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My guess would be African mohgany due to the variance in the grain rings widths. South pacific mohgany is tighter grained.

George
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Old 04-03-2014, 08:52 PM
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looks like mahogany to me as well


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  #9  
Old 04-04-2014, 05:55 AM
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Has all the characteristics (visual) of mahogany. Does it seem a little light for it's dimensions? Most, except for very old growth in certain species, is on the lighter side of the density scale.
Not my preferred handle material as it tends to be a bit soft, durable but soft.


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  #10  
Old 04-04-2014, 09:21 AM
jdale jdale is offline
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Hugh, Mahogany who woulda thunk it..... oh i guess everyone but me. And that folks is why i always label my wood. Thanks for all the input, i will label it accordingly and but it into one of my massive wood piles.
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  #11  
Old 04-04-2014, 09:58 AM
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Gary Mulkey Gary Mulkey is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Crex View Post
Has all the characteristics (visual) of mahogany. Does it seem a little light for it's dimensions? Most, except for very old growth in certain species, is on the lighter side of the density scale.
Not my preferred handle material as it tends to be a bit soft, durable but soft.
It's too bad that most of the prime darker & harder mahogany is gone. The very best came from the island of Santa Domingo but was exhausted during Victorian times for furniture. They say that there is still a supply in Cuba but that hasn't been available for some time for obvious reasons. Here's an example of it that is on the headboard of my bed: (The varnish is a little dull from 100 years of oxidation but you can get an idea of what it looked liked.)



The only time that I used any of the dark, hard mahogany was to trim a high end house around 40 years ago and I have no idea where the owner was able to obtain it as it was custom milled. The hardness of it was somewhere between oak & walnut. Too bad that it's not available anymore as it was beautiful wood.

Gary


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Last edited by Gary Mulkey; 04-04-2014 at 10:04 AM.
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  #12  
Old 04-05-2014, 05:47 AM
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Beautiful piece Gary. I was fortunate enough (being the perpetual scrounger I am) to find a large solid plank of it floating in the backwaters of a local lake during a bass tournament. It had three coats of paint - white, green and pink - and appears to have been the top shelf on a sideboard server cabinet. Still had the turned spindles also of the same mahogany. I just wanted the spindles at the time for candle holders and had no idea plank was solid. Took it home anyway and discovered the treasure under all that junk paint. Went back and cruised the lake later but never found any more.
I'll post a pic of a coat of arms I carved from some of it. Very tight, dense and distinctive grain. Like you said, it's rare, never found any more like it.

Jdale - know what you mean "massive woodpile". If "American Hoarders" ever found out about knifemakers they'd have to start a separate series. I have stump piles I haven't cut up yet - hickory, oak, walnut, osage, black locust, persimmon, etc. Lots of beauty hiding in there waiting to be liberated.


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