Wenge, sapele, iroko, doussie - exotic wood species also available at Holver

Paneling or veneer from exotic wood species is no longer a novelty for woodworkers. Nor is working with such species that do not grow in our region specific to the times. With mahon it has been worked for decades and we certainly don't have any mahogany forests, nor does anyone have it planted in their backyard. Likewise palisander, ebony, tecul or the American walnut. Now, however, species have appeared with very interesting designs that specialists and enthusiasts were unaware of. Their exotic appearance has many people trying to use them in various projects, especially as they are not at all hard to come by. About 4 of them, which you can find in our portfolio HolverI'll talk to you next.

Wenge, false ebony

The tree from which wenge wood comes is called Milettia laurentii and is found in central Africa. It grows up to 18-27 m tall and reaches a diameter of 1-1.2 m. The wood has many other names including false ebony, African rosewood or specific names given by the African people - dikela, bokonge, mibolu, awong. It is a distinctive wood whose dark brown color with black stripes has also led to the appearance of similar berries.

In cross-section wenge has straight, coarse fiber with low natural sheen. The pores are large to very large, few and scattered without special arrangement in the annual ring. Sometimes have dark colored mineral deposits within.

Wood is heavy, hard, dimensionally stable, resistant to mechanical and insect action. It is resistant to termite attack. It is difficult to polish and splinters can be dangerous as they can easily become infected once under the skin. Finishes and glues smoothly. More difficult to fill pores if a closed-pore finish is desired.

Due to its very high hardness it is suitable for flooring and stair treads. But it is also used for furniture, bowls and ostrich-worked objects, and for making musical instruments. It is used both as solid wood and veneer.

Sapelli, African mahogany

It is so called because of its very close resemblance to mahogany wood. You'll also find it called sapele or sapeli, spelled with a single l. The tree's scientific name is Entandrophragma cylindricum. It grows in tropical Africa, often reaching heights of 40-45 m, sometimes as high as 60 m.

The color is yellow to dark reddish brown, darkening as the tree ages. The fiber is straight, sometimes wavy, the texture fine, uniform, with a natural sheen. The pores are diffuse, with no specific arrangement and deposits of reddish-brown salts are sometimes found within them.

The wood is harder than mahogany being comparable in hardness to oak tree. It is highly resistant to rotting and has moderate resistance to insect attack. It is sometimes hard to work with because of mineral deposits that melt tools. It reacts with iron, staining. Turns, polishes and tightly glues. It has a slight odor of cedar.

It is used as both solid wood and veneer. It is used to make furniture, plywood, flooring, boats, musical instruments, bowls and other decorative objects. The listing of mahogany as endangered has led to a substantial increase in demand for sapelli in recent years.

Iroko, the poor man's teak

It is similar to teak although not related to it. The tree is called Milicia excelsa or Milicia regia, with the variants Chlorofora excelsia and Chlorophora regia. It is widespread in tropical and western Africa. It grows to 30-40 m in height and reaches a diameter of 1-1.5 m in diameter. It can live up to 500 years and Africans believe it is a tree with supernatural powers. The Yoruba people believe it is inhabited by a spirit that can make you sick or even kill you if you see it. The man who cuts down such a tree is dogged by bad luck and to prevent this from happening a specific prayer must be made beforehand. If the prayer is not said in the house, the wood comes with the bad luck spirit.

But superstitions aside, let's move on to the characteristics of wood. It is similar to teak in both properties and appearance, but the quality is below that of teak. But the price is much better, which is why it is also called poor man's teak.

The color ranges from yellow to golden and brown and becomes darker the older the tree gets. The pale yellow sapwood is clearly demarcated from the heartwood. The fiber is medium to coarse, twisted, with large to very large pores arranged in no specific arrangement. In the pores there are sometimes deposits of calcium carbonate (limestone) in the pores, which is why it is difficult to work, easily chipping tools. It finishes and glues smoothly.

It is very durable, stable and resistant to rot and insect attack. It is used as a cheaper alternative for exterior cladding, garden furniture, decking. It is used, in solid wood or veneer form, to make furniture, craft, flooring or bowls.

Unlike teak, it doesn't have that oily appearance due to its high oil and tannin content.

Doussie - between mahogany and teak

It is also called afzelia after the name of the tree it comes from - Afzelia africana. The wood has been used to build boats since the Middle Ages. The tree is very useful in its entirety, with the bark and leaves valued as well as the wood. The bark has medicinal uses and the leaves, with a high nitrogen content, are very useful for the soil, to which they provide nutrients.

Its range is Africa and Southeast Asia. For this reason it can be found under a multitude of names, with each country calling it something different (one of them is 'water'). The tree grows to 28-37 m and reaches a diameter of 1-1.5 m.

In section the pale yellow sapwood is well demarcated from the reddish brown heartwood. In doussie the color also becomes darker when the tree is older. The fiber is medium to coarse, with a natural sheen, sometimes twisted which makes it difficult to process. The pores are few, large to very large, with deposits of water soluble salts. It is therefore very difficult to dye with water-based dyeing varnishes because it stains.

It is a hard wood, resistant to rot and abrasion, with moderate termite resistance. The appearance is between mahogany and teak. It has an interesting natural pattern that can sometimes lead to a 3D effect. The wood looks very good from the lower part of the trunk or from the bumps on the tree, which is why it is mainly sold in small pieces.

It is used for furniture, flooring, decking, decking, boats, outdoor furniture, bowls and turned objects, inlays.

African wood

As can be seen from the above, but also from other examples of wood that we have talked about on other occasions, African wood is special, both in its design and color, as well as in its strength. The salt-rich soil and special climate make the wood grown there special too. One drawback is that the salts present in African soil are often found in the large pores of the wood, making it more difficult to work.

But the unpleasant effect of pore salts doesn't stop at tool grinding. They can become a real problem when finishing. They are salts that can affect the coloring, but also the adhesion or the way chemically cured varnishes react. This is why it is recommended to use sealers when working with exotic wood species. This creates a barrier between the finish and the wood that prevents interaction between tannins, salts and varnish.

I have had problems in the past with finishing a mahogany wood. I tried a lot of solutions, but could not get a convenient result. Then I saw what surprising reactions salts hidden in large pores can give, and how useful it is to use quality insulators. And I realized that theoretical knowledge is very good, but without experience it is incomplete.

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