Using Exotic Woods and Long-Term Color

 Products made from wood are not uniform. Knots, grain patterns, color changes and texture variations are all things we celebrate when building with real wood. Vibrant colors, such as, Purple Heart (purple), Padauk (red/orange) and Sapele (reddish brown to burgundy- brown) will not last forever. Like all woods, they change overtime with exposure to ultraviolet light (UV) and other environmental conditions. Products containing some of these exotic woods need to be stored in a place where natural light can be minimized. Boards placed in direct sunlight can turn dark and lose their vibrant color quickly. These processes can be minimized when proper board care is taken.

Environmental Changes and Your Board

It is important to note that most woods are continually trying to adjust to their environment. A woods specific gravity indicates its density. A woods density affects its shrinkage and expansion. Wood may shrink during dry conditions due to loss of moisture and expand during humid type conditions. All woods are affected significantly by moisture and to a lesser degree by heat. These changes in your board do not generally impact the integrity of your board, as long as, proper care is taken to maintain your boards health by using our board butter or an equivalent board conditioner.

Wood Characteristics

  • Padauk is a tropical hardwood from Africa. Its color changes overtime through oxidation from a bright orange-red to a reddish brown color. It has a open texture that is moderately course with a straight - sometimes wavy or interlocking grain pattern. Padauk has a Janka hardness rating of 1970 and a specific gravity of 0.61.

  • Sapele is a tropical hardwood from Africa - similar to Mahogony. This wood has a beautiful iridescent-interlocking grain pattern that ranges in color from a golden to dark reddish brown that will darken with age. Sapele has a Janka hardess rating of 1500 and a specific gravity of 0.62.

  • Cherry is a temperate domestic hardwood that has a very fine texture. It has a smooth- closed grain pattern and is a pale-creamy brown color that will darken to a rich reddish brown color overtime. It is harvested from the American Black Cherry fruit tree and has a Janka hardness rating of 950 and a specific gravity of 0.58.

  • Jatoba - is a tropical hardwood more commonly known as Brazilian Cherry. It has a medium to course texture with an interlocking grain pattern. Its coloring varies from a light orangish brown to a darker reddish brown with dark brown streaking throughout. It has a Janka hardness rating of 2690 and a specific gravity of 0.91.

  • Ash is domestic, desert hardwood that is used for its strength, durability, and beautiful grain pattern. It has a medium to course texture and its coloring varies from a beige to medium brown, but will darken with age and exposure to the sun. Ash a Janka hardness rating of 1200 and a specific gravity of 0.51.

  • Goncalo Alves is a tropical hardwood found on the east coast of Brazil. It is very durable and dense with a fine, uniform texture.  Its color ranges from a brown to reddish brown with blackish brown streaks - the color will tend to darken overtime. It has a beautiful wavy or interlocking grain pattern and natural oils that give it a natural luster. It has a Janka hardness rating of 2170 and a specific gravity of 0.91.

  • Hard Maple is a domestic temperate hardwood. It is the strongest, hardest, and most dense maple variety available commercially. It has a fine, even texture with a grain pattern that varies from straight to wavy. Its color varies from an off-white to a cream/tan color that can have reddish or golden hues. It has a Janka hardness rating of 1450 and a specific gravity of 0.72.

  • Hickory is domestic hardwood that is very popular due to its density, shock resistance. It has a medium course texture with a straight sometimes irregular and wavy grain pattern. It varies from a brownish cream to light brown color and can have wavy brown or reddish streaks throughout it. Hickory has a Janka hardness rating of 1820 and a specific gravity of 0.64.

  • Indian Rosewood (Sissoo) is a hardwood native to the Indian subcontinent and southern Iran. It is known for its outstanding strength, durability, and exceptional beauty. It has a medium to course texture with an irregular, interlocked grain pattern that has the occasional spirals. Its color ranges from a golden brown to reddish dark brown, with darker streaking with a golden colored sapwood . Sissoo has a Janka hardness rating that ranges from 1660 to 2440 and a specific gravity from 0.7 - 0.8.

  • Mesquite is a domestic hardwood from the Sonoran Desert of Arizona. It has a medium course texture with a wavy, interlocking grain pattern. It has a honey/tan color that will become a dark reddish tan over time. Mesquite has a Janka hardness rating of that ranges from 2200 to 2345 and a specific gravity that ranges from 0.64 to 0.8.

  • Purple Heart - known for its deep purple color is a tropical hardwood from South America. It is a great wood to use to add a splash of color. The wood is fine to medium in texture and has a mostly straight grain pattern. The color is generally a grayish/purplish brown that will darken to an eggplant purple with age and UV exposure. Purple Heart has a Janka hardness rating of 2520 and a specific gravity of 0.76.

  • Shedua is a tropical hardwood from Africa. It has a medium to course texture and a straight grain pattern that is slightly interlocking. It ranges in color from a light golden brown to reddish brown wood, but can sometimes be a darker chocolate brown with gray to black stripes. Shedua has a Janka hardness rating of 1330 and a specific gravity that ranges from 0.75 to 0.82.

  • Walnut is a temperate domestic hardwood. It has an even, medium course texture and a grain pattern that can range from straight to irregular. Its color varies from brown to a darker chocolate brown with light brown streaks. Walnut has Janka hardness rating of 1010 and a specific gravity of 0.59.

  • Wenge is a hardwood from West Africa. It has a very course texture with a straight grain pattern with a low natural luster. Wenge varies from a medium brown to black with narrow brown/black veining providing a distinctive pattern. Wenge has Janka hardness rating of 1930 and a specific gravity ranging from 0.72 to 0.88.

  • Granadillo is a tropical hardwood from Central America. It is dense and fine textured with a natural luster or shimmer that gives it depth. It has a bright red to brown color with distinct stripes and sometimes figuring. Granadillo has a Janka hardness rating of 2700 and a specific gravity of 0.88.