Mahogany wood: various species, properties, uses

Mahogany wood was once found in palaces and castles and was nicknamed the "wood of kings". Famous furniture makers of the 18th and 19th centuries, such as Chippendale or Sheraton, made this exotic wood the most appreciated wood of that time. Pieces of mahogany furniture carved with period-specific items have survived the times and are now sell at art auctions for the equivalent of small fortunes. The value of furniture at that time was also due to the fact that wood, brought with difficulty from the colonies, was very expensive. Now, mahogany is not so hard to find, but species inflation has occurred. Wood similar in pattern and colour is sold as mahogany, although it has different properties. What type of mahogany is considered the original and why it is different from other species you will soon find out.

There are several kinds of mahogany: original species, similar species and different species compared to the original mahogany.

The authentic mahogany is the one of the genus Swietenia which grows in the Americas, mainly in South America. There are 3 main types within this genus:

• Cuban mahogany (Swietenia mahogani). If we were to make a hierarchy of mahoganies this would be the first. In the past it has been massively exploited for its very clean and beautiful cheeses from very tall trees. In 1946, Cuba banned exports due to very high demand and over-exploitation. Now the Cuban mahogany has almost disappeared from the market.

• Honduran mahogany (Swietenia macrophilla) is also known as Brazilian mahogany and is very similar in properties to the original mahogany. Its exploitation in areas where it grows naturally has also been restricted, with the wood now coming more from plantations.

• Mexican mahogany (Swietenia humilis). The trees of this species are much smaller and the timber is of poorer quality (knots and uneven fibre). There are opinions that in the past these trees were also very tall, but over-exploitation and the shift to cultivation led to the emergence of trees with different growth.

Very similar to these original mahogany types is the African mahogany. Neither is a single kind, but the most famous is Khaya ivorensis. African mahogany is the one found on the European market. It is tougher than the original mahogany, but works well.

African mahogany belongs, like the original mahogany species, to the Meliaceae family. Other species, with different properties, belong to the same family, but are accepted by most specialists as belonging to the mahogany family. The best known are the sapele, sycamore and Australian red cedar.

However, there are species such as Philippine peanuts, Chinese peanuts, Indian peanuts or Indonesian peanuts that are very different in properties from the original peanuts and are not recognised by specialists as peanuts. Their name is primarily commercial and is based on a similarity of design or colour. Philippine mahogany is also known as meranti.

What makes mahogany so special is the special qualities of the wood. The difference between species of the Meliaceae family, considered by most specialists to be mahogany and those that aspire to the title of mahogany, is seen in the price and the way they are processed.

And yet, if they are so similar in design and color, why don't we consider all species to be mahogany? Because it's not just the colour and pattern that make mahogany special. There are many other properties that have made it so desirable that its exploitation has had to be controlled. Here are some of them:

• it works well and easily, both manually and with machines. The grain is straight and consistent, it is tough but not so tough that it is hard to machine. That means it works and sands easily, but is resistant to dents and scratches;
• very good stability. Mahogany wood is known for its dimensional stability. It continues to be very stable under wide variations in humidity, does not warp or swell, and joints and glues remain intact;
• good rot resistance. Not as strong as teak or other exotic woods, but superior to most native species. Wood from older, naturally grown trees in the forest is much stronger than wood from younger trees in plantations.
• beautiful straight fibre, specific colour. The colour is so distinctive that it has given rise to berries that colour ordinary wood in 'mahogany'. Perhaps this is why we see mahogany furniture everywhere. In fact it is wood of various species coloured in mahogany, which looks like wood. Because mahogany wood has a lot of colours in its design, starting from dark brown bands, through reddish brown, to pink. And the colour differs from species to species. The mahogany has large pores, spread throughout the annual ring, that give beautiful designs. In some species the annual ring is not clearly defined.
• large-sized timber with straight grain and no knots. Due to the climate in their native areas (Peru, Brazil, Cuba, Honduras) the trees grow very tall and are very hardy. Such trees produce long, wide pieces of lumber without knots and defects.

Uses of mahogany wood

Mahogany is used both as veneer and as solid wood, timber. The original mahogany is easily processed and stained. Species considered mahogany can give problems when staining due to salts deposited in the pores. The more silicate the soil in which they are grown contains, the greater the problems.

In the heyday of mahogany - the 18th and 19th centuries - it was used by famous manufacturers to make furniture flooring. And now it is used to make furniture, both solid and veneered. It's not as expensive as it used to be, but it's not cheap either. At least the original one, which is less and less to be found, is quite expensive.

Mahogany is used to make jewellery boxes or cigar boxes, to make classical or electric guitars, for floors or wooden steps. Ebony workers use it to make inlays or for restorations. And because of its good moisture resistance it is used in the manufacture of yachts or other craft.

Mahogany has been and always will be a precious wood. Even if it is no longer considered the wood of kings, it contributes to the value of the pieces it is used for.