Mahogany

SKU: WL-Mahogany.
Category: .

Mahogany

Mahogany is an enduring favorite.  It has phenomenal beauty, stability, and workability.  Mahogany is a great choice if you are looking for sophisticated and very high-end wood for unique cabinets.  Its rich patterns and colors will make your kitchen shine.  Grains can be found from a tight and straight to wavy grains with lots of rays and luster.  We source our Mahogany from sustainable forests and harvesters.  We also hand select our lumber to provide the best surfaces for sophisticated interiors.  Our mahogany, when used the right way, can add a lot of character.

Mahogany as a name for wood gets used very loosely.  This might be because the official designation of "mahogany" can be somewhat subjective.  There is not a fine line between what is true mahogany and what is not.  There are currently dozens of types of mahogany, most without regard to the botanical designation.  Therefore buyers of Mahogany must be cautious, as with any top-notch wood.  True mahogany is Swietenia macrophylla, commonly known as Genuine  Mahogany, Honduran Mahogany, Big-Leaf Mahogany, or American Mahogany.  Cuban Mahogany, the original mahogany, was over-harvested, and wasted as firewood.  It is no longer available.  Genuine mahogany comes with a high level of expectations, based on the many wonderful characteristics it displays.  Other mahoganies might not display all of these characteristics.

Genuine Mahogany trees grow very tall and stout, providing wide, long, knot and defect-free lumber.  These beautiful boards can transcend the heights of sophistication.  The graining is varied and rich, ranging from straight grained to interlocked, wavy, and irregular.  It has a goldilocks-like density: not too hard, not too soft -- just hard enough.   It is also known for its incredible dimensional stability.  The wood will remain flat over time.  Glue-ups and joints will remain intact.  Throughout the seasonal changes in humidity, mahogany wood has minimal swelling and shrinkage.  Mahogany is also well known for its workability.

Mahogany wood is also one of the more popular hardwoods because of its color, which deepens and gets richer over time.  It ranges from pale brown and honey to a reddish-brown with darker rays in various patterns.  We love Mahogany with a straight grain and a quartersawn cut, but Mahogany offers many unique grain patterns, some that are better with a flat cut.  Mahogany can be used for kitchens, bathrooms, interior cabinets and walls, and veneers.

We hand select and carefully organize lumber and panels for our concept projects.  Because wood is a product of nature, no two pieces  are alike.  Mahogany grown in different locations can result in wildly different looks.  Please stop by or order a sample to confirm the look you want.  When the right boards are chosen, and composed in the right way, mahogany can be one of the most unique woods for interior cabinets and other surfaces.

 

Material

Wood

Wood Type

Mahogany

Usage

Cabinets

Wood Color

Dark Brown, Light Brown, Reddish Brown

Wood Finish

Gloss, Matte

Wood Grain

Interlocked, Irregular, Straight, Wavy

Wood Hardness

<1,000 lbf

Wood Decay Resistance

Moderately Durable, Very Durable

bring your HOME to life with unique surfaces:

The finish materials you use for the surfaces around your home can become some of the most important focal points in your home.  Using a carefully selected wood for interior floors, cabinets, and other surfaces can add a unique tactile effect that exudes beauty and luxury.  Take advantage of our carefully curated wood options to bring your home to a new standard.

USES:

Mahogany is a great wood for high-end cabinets.

Color Range

Mahogany heartwood varies in its color range, from a pale yellowish brown to a dark reddish brown.  The colors will darken with age.

Mahogany will exhibit moderate color variation from board to board.  Hand selecting the lumber is important.

Grain & Visual Pattern:

Mahogany’s grain can be straight, interlocked, irregular, or wavy.  It also has large pores without a specific arrangement.  This allows for a wide range of visual patterns.

The visual pattern in Mahogany changes based on the grain type, the log and the cut.  But it generally has a medium and uniform texture, and moderate natural luster.  Mahogany wood can be found with curly, wavy, and fiddleback grain patterns.  These heavily patterned Mahoganys are best displayed through quartersawing.  When the boards have been flatsawn, they will have beautiful ripple marks, and rays (reddish brown slits) organized in rows.  There are widely varying patterns with mahogany, with different perceived depth of the pattern, and purity of color.  The price of the wood varies accordingly.  Figured and quartersawn lumber is more expensive.  Hand selecting individual mahogany boards is extremely important.

Texture and Finish:

Mahogany wood has a smooth and even texture, making it easy to finish with a light brush or smooth sand.

Staining Mahogany is not needed.  It is often chosen for its naturally beautiful colors.  Like most woods, it will darken over time with exposure to light.  Its color and grain can be displayed with a simple matte or gloss finish.  However, due to the many different grain and pattern anomalies found with different cuts, choosing the correct Mahogany boards with the right patterns is very important.

Environmental

Genuine Mahogany was included in the CITES Appendix II in 2003, and is listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.  It is listed as vulnerable because it has had a population reduction over 20% from the last three generations.  This was caused by exploitation, and a decline in its natural range.  Genuine Mahogany is now grown extensively on plantations.

We source our Mahogany boards from trees cultivated by environmentally responsible harvesters.  We believe when the building industry sources and manufactures building materials with sustainability in mind, we all live in a healthier world, and we want to do our part.

Workability:

Mahogany has excellent workability.  It has good density, a cooperative nature, and is easy to sand and machine.  When the grain is straight and consistent, it is a pleasure to work with.

There is no need to stain this beautiful wood.  Its stability makes it easy to glue and finish — joints and glue-ups will remain intact.

Decay Resistance:

Mahogany is rated as moderately-durable to very durable.  While not as durable as Teak or other exotic tropical woods, it holds up very well over time when manufactured and treated properly.

Performance
TEST
U.S. Measurement
International measurement
Janka Hardness: 900 lbf 4,020 N
Average Dried Weight: 37.0 lb/ft³ 590 kg/m³
Modulus of Rupture: 11,710 lbf/in² 80.8 MPa
Elastic Modulus: 1,458,000 lbf/in² 10.06 GPa
Crushing Strength: 6,760 lbf/in² 46.6 MPa
Density: 41 lb/ft³ 650 kg/m³
Shrinkage: Radial: 2.9%; Tangental: 4.3%; Volumetric: 7.5%
83%+ Clear:

We start with Select & Better graded lumber that is at least 83% clear on one side.

Kiln dried:

All of our wood is kiln dried and stored in a protected warehouse.

We store our wood as S4S, which stands for “surfaced on 4 sides.”  The boards have two flat and parallel faces and two flat and parallel edges.  The boards are first surfaced on both faces (S2S) with a planer, and receive a rip on both edges.

BULK Commercial Pricing

Because we have become known for our unique material selection, we do sell wood slabs to third parties.  If you are working on a large project and in need of large amounts or slabs, we can offer great pricing for bulk orders.  We can also finish the wood for your project.  However, our wood is hand selected for superior appearance and performance, so contact us to confirm availability and to receive a quote.

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