Mahogany’s story is a fascinating one. Mahogany was one of the treasures of the new world which was exploited to the point of extinction in many areas. Cuban mahogany, which is also called baywood and Havana wood, is widely considered the top mahogany, but over-harvesting wiped out what was considered to be Cuba’s finest natural resource.

Trees can grow as tall as 150 feet with 6 foot diameters above heavy buttresses and boles clear to 60 feet or more. Weight averages from 34 to 40 pounds per cubic foot. It is typically a bright pink to red when first cut, but this ages to a copper-like reddish brown or a yellowish brown. The color of the wood is affected by the area of origin as well as the density of the wood; denser woods are usually deeper in color. The grain of the wood tends to be straight and plain, but mahogany logs occasionally yield a variety of very interesting looks, among them rippled, curly, striped, quilted, blistered, roey, wavy, mottled and one of the most famous, fiddleback. Cutting affects the wood’s pattern. Flat sawn wood may yield interestingly swirled growth rings while quartered wood shows little in the way of the grain.

Its uses include fine furniture and cabinetmaking, fancy veneers, paneling, boat building, caskets, musical instruments, pattern making, turnery and carving.

Mahogany is a stable and resilient wood that works well in almost all furniture and woodworking applications, with the possible exception of when the wood exhibits an interlocked grain that may tear when worked with hand or machine tools. It can be air-seasoned or kiln-dried easily. The wood is considered easy to work with by hand and machine tools, although figured material can pose problems. Easily finished, the wood takes an excellent polish and has a natural high luster.