Wood ID??

DSWalker

David
Corporate Member
This was given to me. Not sure what it is. It is pretty dense/heavy. Has a red/pinkish color.

189444
189445
189446
 

Stuart Kent

Stuart
Senior User
looks like African Mahogany or possibly Spanish Cedar. Does it dent easily with your fingernail? Is it more similar in weight to black walnut or poplar?
 

DSWalker

David
Corporate Member
looks like African Mahogany or possibly Spanish Cedar. Does it dent easily with your fingernail? Is it more similar in weight to black walnut or poplar?
Fingernail barely leaves a mark, but I can see it. I tried the same on some white oak and they marked similarly.

I'm not much help on the weight comparison to walnut and poplar. It is heavier than the white oak piece of a simar size though.
 

smallboat

smallboat
Corporate Member
I was going with spanish cedar until you mentioned th density.
Plus spanish cedar has a pretty distinct odor.
sort of peppery smell
 

Phil S

Phil Soper
Staff member
Corporate Member
Years ago I made a mantle out of river birch. I would not have known the species if the supplier had not told me
That mantle is over at Quail Ridge Bookstore in North Raleigh
 

Jeff

New User
Jeff
The source of the wood may be a clue if you can get it from whoever gave it to you. Is it from a NC tree?

Janka hardness
River birch970
White oak1350
South American mahogany900

I have some South American mahogany whose color is similar.

P1010014.png
P1010015.png
 

Jim M.

Woody
Corporate Member
I'm jumping on the river birch bandwagon. The pinkish hue and linear grain is what caught my attention.
 

Graywolf

Board of Directors, President
Richard
Staff member
Corporate Member
I was between mahogany and the birch, after seeing the second pic it looks closer to the river birch.
 

bob vaughan

Bob Vaughan
Senior User
Those photos seem to show pores that are too big for river birch. The pores of the river birch I have seem to be somewhere between walnut and cherry.
 

Stuart Kent

Stuart
Senior User
Those photos seem to show pores that are too big for river birch. The pores of the river birch I have seem to be somewhere between walnut and cherry.

I have to agree with Bob. Birch typically has close-grained surface texture, similar to maple or cherry.

the weight and density are the problems. The grain and color look like African Mahogany or Spanish Cedar, but it cannot be either if it is heavier than oak and too hard to dent with a fingernail.

I am inclined to second Berta with Hickory based on the open grain and it being heavier than white oak
 

Dash

New User
Devin
I once specified spanish cedar for a window job and the architect wanted to know which species. That sorta pissed me off. But I did notice in delivered loads that there were some boards that were dense, heavy and worthy and others that were quite punky and resembled luan. The unmistakeable characteristic, furthermore, is that rank, nose scabbing smell. It also taste poisonous. Because of the smell and the taste i hated working with it. I often likened the smell to the bug spray Raid.
 

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