Wood Types
ZEEBRAWOOD - This wood is characterized by its prominent striping pattern in the wood grain. It is most commonly used for premium furniture due to the nature of its unique pattern. It is a very heavy, hard wood that can be sometimes difficult to work with. Zebrawood historically was most commonly found in high end luxury items. The density and hardness make it desirable for manufacturing in things such as cars, guns, and other items that would require it to withstand shock and vibration.
| ORIGIN | West Africa, Europe and Tanzania |
| TREE HEIGHT | 65-130 ft (20-40 m) |
| TRUNK DIAMETER | 2-3 ft (.6-1 m) |
| WEIGHT | 50 lbs/ft3 (805 kg/m3) |
| HARDNESS | 1,830 lb/ft3 (8,160 N) |
SANDALWOOD - Commonly known as Indian Sandalwood, is a dry deciduous forest species native to China, India, Indonesia, Australia, and the Philippines. This small tropical tree grows to 20m high with red wood and a variety of dark colors of bark (dark brown, reddish and dark grey). Because it is strong and durable, S. album is mostly harvested for its timber. Sandalwood heartwood, which is close-grained, is used for fine furniture and carving. The heartwood and roots also contain ‘sandal oil’ which is valued for use in perfumes, incense, cosmetics, soaps, and medicines. The bark contains tannin, which is used for dye.
| ORIGIN | Southeastern India |
| TREE HEIGHT | 30-50 ft (9-15 m) |
| TRUNK DIAMETER | 2-3 ft (.6-1 m) |
| WEIGHT | 63 lbs/ft3 (1,010 kg/m3) |
| HARDNESS | 2,940 lb/ft3 (13,080 N) |
EBONY - Ebony wood is easy to identify, since this is one of the few woods that are truly black in color. It is a very dense hardwood and has many characteristics that make it desirable for a number of wood carving and specialized woodworking projects. Historically ebony was used in the production of musical instruments, used to make the black keys on pianos and in the fretboards for guitars.
| ORIGIN | Equatorial West Africa |
| TREE HEIGHT | 50-60 ft (15-18 m) |
| TRUNK DIAMETER | 2-3 ft (.6-1 m) |
| WEIGHT | 60 lbs/ft3 (955 kg/m3) |
| HARDNESS | 3,080 lb/ft3 (13,700 N) |
OLIVE - The olive wood, farmed form the trees of Olea europaea, is a hard and rich in color wood that is prized all around the world for its appearance, density, straight grain and fine texture. Originally found around the eastern coast of Mediterranean, Olive trees managed to spread outside of Europe, thanks not on the need for wood exploitation, but for the growth of its delicious olive fruit that demands very little upkeep and attention during seasonal growth. Olive wood is versatile and easy to work with, but even though it is hard and strong.
| ORIGIN | Europe and eastern Africa |
| TREE HEIGHT | 25-50 ft (8-15 m) |
| TRUNK DIAMETER | 3-5 ft (1.0-1.5 m) |
| WEIGHT | 62 lbs/ft3 (990 kg/m3) |
| HARDNESS | 2,700 lb/ft3 (12,010 N) |
BAMBOO - Although Bamboo is technically a grass and not a wood, it can be used for building many things due to the hardness and density of the plant stems. Bamboo grows in abundance in tropical climates and there are a number of different species available, which vary greatly between regions.
While people might think that Bamboo would be lightweight, soft, and easy to bend or cut this is not the case. It is better to compare Bamboo to the hardwood Red oak or Maple, since it has a similar hardness and strength. The high density grass can sometimes be tough on tools.
Bamboo stems are especially popular for garden furniture, garden decorations, fences, and privacy screens. You can also see bamboo in cabinets, watches, fine furniture and even as hardwood flooring.
| ORIGIN | South Asia |
| TREE HEIGHT | 50-100 ft (15-30 m) |
| TRUNK DIAMETER | 3-6 in (10-20 cm) |
| WEIGHT | 31-53 lbs/ft3 (500-850 kg/m3 |
| HARDNESS | 1,410-1,610 lb/ft3 (6,270-7,170 N) |
WALNUT - Walnut is a hardwood that is best known for its rich brown and dark coloring. Walnut can be expensive and often is only available through specialty lumber stores, but it is a beautiful wood to consider for special projects.
Walnut is relatively easy to work with, but is also very strong.Walnut is a fine grained wood which polishes up quite nicely and can easily be stained and protected. Many people are also surprised to learn walnut is used in high end luxury car manufacturing and in gun making. The fibers of the walnut tree are very dense, which makes it able to withstand the shock and force the wood might experience in these types of uses. Musical instruments such as guitars and violins can also commonly be made of walnut. 