After our recent discussion about sustainable forestry and ways to protect endangered species of hardwoods around the world, I was curious to know which, if any, of the so called “lesser known species” that our visitors had used instead of the over-harvested ones. The fact that we had far fewer responses than usual leads me to believe that lesser-known species haven’t taken a serious foothold among our visitors. Here are some of their responses:
Personal preference counts
“I am a domestic-wood kind of guy. I don’t see much need in using exotic lumber, when there are so many nice domestic varieties to use.”
“Keeping track of alternate species is difficult. They are often given a name by the importer, are rarely referred to by their scientific names, and are often called different names by different suppliers.”
“Here in Indiana, I find so many terrific looking woods that work beautifully and cost so little by comparison. I haven’t ventured into using imported material. The forests in my location are regenerating, and most farmers will let you cut trees in their fence rows.”
“I use everything available, regardless of origin. i first check to see what the wood dealer has available, then look up working properties at the Center for Wood Anatomy Research. Finally i look at price. I have not found any true substitutes for either high altitude dark Mahogany or the South American Rosewoods, such as Moradillo. Granadillo and Jatoba work nicely, but do not measure up to the highest standards.”
“I’ve seen Jatoba offered locally for prices similar to domestic hardwoods. I’ve yet to use any and have no idea about its value as a sustainable alternative. I simply have no information about the growth and harvesting practices that precede its arrival at my local lumberyard.”
Price as a major factor?
“I have always felt the price of prized lumber was way too cheap. Over the past hundred years, open markets and a ready supply has caused the lumber to be so cheap we can afford to waste it. We are now considering secondary materials due to lack of resources on the planet.”
“Prized species will always be in demand, until the last stick is used up. no matter the price. When I price custom furniture, cost of lumber represents less than ten percent. The cost of the wood could double without it having any negative effect on the volume of my business.”
“A lot of time, the consumer’s choice of exotics is just based on it being exotic and rare. There are numerous alternatives, but most clients won’t pay a premium price for a piece, unless an exotic wood is used.”
Some alternative species
“We just put in an FSC-certified Jatoba floor. I haven’t seen certified Jatoba elsewhere, but I’ll confess I haven’t looked that hard.”
“Jatoba is indeed hard, dense, abrasive, and machines nicely, so it is suited for use in furniture and cabinetry. It is still plentiful, but i am concerned by how aggressively it is being marketed. I use a lot of Alder as both primary and secondary wood and actually prefer a mix of materials in furniture, using contrast as a design tool.”
“Oak, Cherry, Maple, Ash, etc. are all expensive here in New Zealand. Abundant and relatively affordable wood here tends to be native grown Rimu, Matai, Tawa, Beech and Rewarewa. I salvage quite a bit of wood from building demolitions, old furniture, felled trees and even firewood plies, which is a great way to keep prices down.”
“Katalox is a Mexican grown timber that usually comes in smaller sizes. I’ve never seen it longer than 3 ft. long. Heavy, dense, and with a near black heartwood, it can be used as an Ebony substitute. It takes a beautiful finish and tears out less than hard Maple.”
“Names like Ebony, Mahogany and Rosewood are legends. Other wonderful woods have not found commercial success due to their ugly sounding names. Bocote, Gonçalo Alves, Idigbo, Nargusta and Roble don’t evoke images of elegance to most people, but that doesn’t mean these woods can’t be made into beautiful projects.”
“Pawlonia is a tree that I’ve heard of, and it seems to be a very interesting source of lumber.”
“I visited a local sawyer last week who had Spanish Cedar for several bucks per board foot less than Mahogany. He said it was a great, cheaper option, but, boy, did it stink.”
“I build a lot of outdoor furniture and i use ipe, Jatoba, Makore, Padauk, Purpleheart and others as Teak substitutes.”
“Raintree (Monkeypod) is a beautiful wood, but it is hard to find. It is easy to hand plane and works well, except that it is a bit brittle. The dust was a little irritating to me. The pieces with a mix of heartwood and sapwood have a pleasing, dramatic color difference.”
“I’ve read about the new ‘Lyptus wood, some form of engineered tree that grows fast and hard and is being used to reforest the rain forests in South America.”
“Lyptus? It looks like this plantation grown Eucalyptus-hybrid could be a real breakthrough, and Weyerhauser deserves much credit. I don’t think we can take the heat off our dwindling rain forests simply by moving on to lesser known species. Once these species become known, they also become exhausted. We have to ease up on expecting natural forests to be the sole source of our timber supply and start treating timber as a managed crop. This will dictate the diversity of species we will have. Some species adapt to plantation culture and some don’t. Lyptus looks like a winner. An African genus of timbers, Albizia (the source of Kokko. known as ‘East Indian Walnut) may also have real promise. It is nitrogen-fixing, grows like a weed, and produces a very attractive wood with respectable working properties.”
What are your thoughts on this? Add your comments below!