The Variations of Mahogany That Bring A Project To Life
Striving to provide the highest quality products possible has always been my mission. The standard is that it will be durable, beautiful, made with the best materials available and be supremely functional. Hand shaping and hand planing are skills critical to the process of giving life to custom fine furniture. I use these techniques as the basis for my designs because it is crucial to allowing them to take on a personality of their own.
One of the woods I use most frequently when creating custom made wood furniture is mahogany. It has been a very popular type of wood throughout the course of history. It is a strong and sturdy wood that has proven to stand the test of time. I enjoy using mahogany for my custom built furniture not only because of its workability factor but because of the elegance it portrays when it is finished. It is important to take into account what kind of mahogany you are using. There are three main variations- Cuban Mahogany, Honduras Mahogany and African Mahogany.
CUBAN MAHOGANY
Cuban Mahogany is one of the most sought-after woods there is. It has been over harvested and is now protected by law in its natural habitat. Cuban Mahogany has a light reddish-brown color at first, but as time goes on it begins to darken in color. It was used extensively in cabinetry and furniture making in Europe and the US. It was also thought of as the King of Woods.
HONDURAS MAHOGANY
Honduras Mahogany is less dense than , but is still considered endangered. This type of mahogany is typically ideal to be cut, hand planed or sanded, which makes it great for custom designed wood furniture. Because this wood is renowned for its resistance and strength, I recommend making sure all of your tools are freshly sharpened to make for an easier process. This type of mahogany is typically used for outdoor furniture and musical instruments.
AFRICAN MAHOGANY
African Mahogany makes up part of the mahogany family with 7 varieties to offer. The most common is known as Khaya ivorenesis and can be found in Ghana and Madagascar. It is usually cheaper than authentic mahogany from South America and is most frequently imported to the US. It is most commonly used to make custom wood furniture, cabinets and boats.