Exotic wood ID

[Michael Nathal]

I obtained an unlabeled exotic wood blank from a club member's estate. It apparently sat in his garage for over 30 years. When I turned it, the wood did not produce any shavings, just sawdust. The wood was not particularly hard but was very heavy, heavier than cocobolo. It is tight grained, and when freshly cut the color was primarily orange, relatively close to cherry, with a hint of green tint in places. But I put it out in the sun for a couple hours, and it turned a dark brown, at least as dark as walnut. I didn't get a chance to take photos before it turned brown.

Any suggestions to what I have?

 

[robo hippy]

It sounds like Osage Orange.... Harder than woodpecker lips...

robo hippy

 

[odie]

I bought a piece of "rosewood" that was not identified any further than that. The block was black, but the brownish red color was revealed once cut. I have suspicions the wax preservative coating had something to do with it turning black.....but ???.

This is the finished bowl. Some of the blackish color is from the staining at the surface of the block.

Could it be this is what you have?

-----odie-----

 

[John Torchick]

Confucius say picture worth one thousand words.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

I think Robo hit it. finishes like a tropical in that you just add wax and looks great.

 

[Michael Nathal]

Thanks for venturing some guesses. I know a photo would help but the wood is too dark to see much grain pattern. It is definitely not Osage Orange, which is more ring-porous and very yellow when freshly cut. It is possibly a rosewood, but I never had any wood that changed color so rapidly. I have put cherry, cocobolo and osage orange in sunlight but they darkened only slightly after many days of exposure. This piece looks almost like ebony after 2 hours.

 

[Hy Tran]

Old purpleheart?

Lignum Vitae?

 

[hockenbery]

Paduk?
Not sure how fast it would change color.
It is one of those woods that to me looks great through the color changes.

Starts out on the orange side of red, becomes a black cherry sort of red then almost black
I used it a lot on Christmas ornamame finials.
Always looked good to me when paired with light colored globe.