HARDWOOD LUMBER from COMPTON LUMBER


When you see , this means that the marked item is inventoried in the Seattle warehouse.

  • ACACIA
    Acacia spp., Robinia pseudoacacia
    Acacia Koa, Locust
    Source: Acacia is one of the most abundant species of wood growing in many parts of the world including America, Europe, India, and Africa. In the United States, in the form of Acacia Koa in Hawaii and Locust on the mainland. For Acacia Koa see KOA.
    Color: Locust, greenish-brown heartwood.
    Pattern:
    Characteristics:
    Uses:
    Availability: Rare as veneer.
    Price Range: Valuable.

  • ACAPU
    Vouacapoua americana
    Brownheart, Partridge Wood
    Source: Brazil and northern Central America.
    Color: Uniform cream sapwood; heartwood dark chocolate brown with lighter brown striping. Low lustre.
    Pattern: Grain straight to slightly roey; texture coarse.
    Characteristics: Hard and heavy.
    Uses: Boat building, flooring, furniture, veneer and plywood.
    Availability: Rare.
    Price Range: Valuable.

  • AFROMOSIA
    Pericopsis elata
    Kokrodua
    Source: West Africa
    Color: Yello to warm brown.
    Pattern: Grain straight to some mottle; resembles teak.
    Characteristics:
    Uses: Wall paneling; furniture; decks.
    Availability: Limited as veneer; limited as lumber.
    Price Range: Valuable.

  • ALBARCO
    Cariniana spp.
    Abarco, Bacu, Jequitiba, and incorrectly, Brazilian or Columbian "Mahogany".
    Source: South America (Brazil and Columbia).
    Color: Light brown sapwood; yellowish to pinkish or reddish-brown heartwood.
    Pattern: Grain straight or striped.
    Characteristics: Close, dense texture; moderately heavy; very hard; difficult to saw.
    Uses: Furniture; interior construction.
    Availability: Rare as veneer (quarter sliced).
    Price Range: Average.

  • ALDER, RED
    Alnus rubra
    Alder, Western Red Alder
    Source: Pacific Coast region (California and North)
    Color: Pale pinkish-brown to almost white.
    Pattern: Non distinct
    Characteristics: Good working properties; strength between Red Gum and American tulipwood.
    Uses: Unexposed structural parts of furniture; core stock
    Availability: Rare as veneer; readily available as lumber.
    Price Range: Average

  • ALMON
    Shorea almon
    Often sold with or as White Lauan
    Source: Philippine Islands.
    Color: Light cream or straw.
    Pattern: Quartered or rotary figure.
    Characteristics: Light; works well although stringy; finishes well; coarse textured; cross grained; moderately hard.
    Uses:
    Availability: Readily available as veneer (quarter sliced and half round cut); readily available as lumber.
    Price Range: Inexpensive.

  • APITONG
    Dipterocarpus grandiflorus
    Bagac, Philippine Mahogany (family)
    Source: Philippine Islands
    Color: Light to dark reddish-brown
    Pattern: Grain slightly crossed; quartered "ribbon" often absent or wide apart.
    Characteristics: Moderate to coarse texture; dull; hard and comparatively heavy; works and finishes will; good gluing and finishing qualities.
    Uses: Heavy duty lumber; truck decking
    Availability: Readily available mainly as lumber
    Price Range: Average

  • ASH, WHITE
    Fraxinus latifolia
    Source: Eastern United States
    Color: Somewhat lustrous; cream to very light brown heartwood with wide, light colored sapwood.
    Pattern: Straight moderately open grain.
    Characteristics: Heavy; hard; strong; stiff, high in shock resistance with excellent bending qualities and above average workability.
    Uses: Interiors; furniture; handles of tools and implements; sporting and athletic goods.
    Availability: Readily available as veneer (quarter sliced & half round), and lumber.
    Price Range: Average

  • BASSWOOD
    Tilia americana
    Linden, American Whitewood, American Lime
    Source: Northern United States & Canada
    Color: Creamy white
    Pattern: Fine grain; little or no grain character
    Characteristics: Very light; fairly soft; glues quite well.
    Uses: Largely as core stock and cross-banding.
    Availability: Readily available
    Price Range: Low to Medium Low

  • BIRCH, YELLOW
    Betula alleghaniensis

    Source: Canada and the Lake States and New England to North Carolina in the US.
    Color: Cream or light brown tinged with red, with thin, nearly white sapwood.
    Pattern: Both rotory and sliced, plain and often curly or wavy.
    Characteristics: Heavy; very strong; hard; close grained; even texture.
    Uses: Furniture; interiors; doors; store fixtures; trim; etc...
    Availability: Readily available as veneer, lumber & plywood.
    Price Range: Moderate
  • CEDAR, ALASKA YELLOW

    Source: Canada and southern Alaska
    Color: Light to golden yellow.
    Pattern: Fine grain; little of no grain character.
    Characteristics: Very light; fairly soft; glues well.
    Uses: Boat construction; core stock; furniture
    Availability: Becoming more difficult in high quality
    Price Range: Moderate to high

  • CEDAR, TENNESSEE (AROMATIC)
    Juniperus virginiana
    Eastern Redcedar; Juniper; Pencil cedar
    Source: Eastern two-thirds of the United States. Largest production in Southeastern and South Central States.
    Color: Pinkish red to light red with white (sap) stripes on edges.
    Pattern: Knotty with natural characteristics.
    Characteristics: Tends to lean towards the brittle side, is considered to be "nice" to work.
    Uses: Cedar storage chests; closet liner; jewelry boxes; pails; small woodenware.
    Availability: Readily as lumber only, some plywood.
    Price Range: Moderate

  • CHERRY, AMERICAN BLACK
    Prunus serotina
    Black Rum Cherry, Wild Balck Cherry
    Source: Maine to Dakotas and Appalachians; production largely Pennsylvania to West Virginia
    Color: Light Reddish-Brown
    Pattern: Straight grained; satiny; some figured. Small gum pockets are normal markings.
    Characteristics: Light; strong; rather hard; fine grained
    Uses: Fine furniture; woodwork and engraving blocks
    Availability: Readily available as veneer (quarter sliced, half round); readily available as lumber.
    Price Range: Average

  • COCOBOLO
    Dalbergia retusa, Dalbergia hypoleuca
    Nambar, Granadillo
    Source: Central America.
    Color: Dark red, rose, or yellowish-brown with veins and irregular markings or purple or black.
    Pattern: Straight to interwoven grain
    Characteristics: VERY hard
    Uses: Cutlery handles; furniture; inlay; cabinets;specialty items
    Availability: Limited as veneer; readily available as lumber
    Price Range: High

  • COFFEETREE
    Gymnocladus dioicus
    Kentucky Coffeetree
    Source: USA Central Hardwoods Region.
    Color: Rich, light brown tinged with red, with thin lighter colored sap wood.
    Pattern: Strong annual ring markings.
    Characteristics: Heavy although not hard; strong; coarse-grained.
    Availability: Rare
    Price Range: Average

  • CORDIA
    Cordia spp.
    Bocote, Canalete, Canaletta, Louro Pardo, Loro Negro, Siricote, Ziricote
    Source: West Indies, Central America, and northern South America
    Color: Reddish brown to dark brown, with irregular blackish streaks, and sapwood grayish or yellowish.
    Pattern: Grain variable
    Characteristics: Fine to Medium texture
    Uses: Furniture, cabinetry, turnery, flooring, veneer, gunstocks
    Availability: Readily available as lumber and veneer.
    Price Range: Average

  • EBONY, MACASSAR
    Diospyros Celebica
    Perhaps the most preferred of the East Indian Ebony group.
    Source: East Indies
    Color: Dark brown to Black; large proportion of the logs are streaked with yellowish-brown or gray.
    Pattern: Rays are fine and very indistinct; the grain markings largely from the brown streaks on black background.
    Characteristics: Dense; close grain.
    Uses: Wall paneling; inlays;ornamental work.
    Availability: Readily available as veneer (quarter sliced); limited as lumber, usually found in smaller dimensions.
    Price Range: Valuable

  • HICKORY
    Carya spp.
    There are some 16 species and 20 varieties in eastern North America of which the most important commercially is Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata)
    Source: From Northeastern United States to the Southwest into Mexico.
    Color: White to cream with inconspicuous fine brown lines and tan heartwood.
    Pattern:
    Characteristics: Extremely tough and resilient; quite hard and only moderatley heavy.
    Uses: As veneer - furniture, skis, and moulded/bent plywood requiring extreme strength.
    Availability: Readily available as veneer; readily available as lumber.
    Price Range: Average

  • IMBUYA
    Phoebe porsa
    Brazilian "Walnut", Determa, Embuia, Imbuia
    Source: Brazil
    Color: Rich Brown
    Pattern: Sometimes blistered
    Characteristics: Fine textured; moderately hard and heavy.
    Uses: High-grade furniture; jointery; paneling; flooring.
    Availability: Rare as veneer (plain sliced, half round).
    Price Range: Average to high

  • KOA
    Acacia

    Source: Hawaii
    Color: Golden Brown with dark streaks.
    Pattern: Brown streaks; lustrous sheen. Occasionally develops a perfect fiddleback figure or other cross figure.
    Characteristics: Walnut-like texture but not as hard.
    Uses: Originally for art objects and musical instruments; also for fine furniture and paneling.
    Availability: Limited as veneer (quarter sliced); limited as lumber.
    Price Range: Med-high to high

  • LACEWOOD
    Cardwellia sublimis
    Australian Silky "Oak", Selano, Silky "Oak"
    Source: Queensland, Australia
    Color: Light pink with silvery sheen.
    Pattern: Small flaky grain due to large rays.
    Characteristics: Very attractive overall pattern when used on small areas.
    Uses: Often as borders and limited, highly figured areas of fine furniture.
    Availability: Rare as veneer(quarter sliced)
    Price Range: Valuable

  • LIGNUM VITAE
    Guaiacum officinale, G. Sanctum
    Guayacan - "The wood of life"
    Source: Tropical North America; West Indies, south to Venezuela
    Color: Variable from olive brown to dark brown and nearly black
    Pattern:
    Characteristics: Especially oily or waxy; mildly scented; extremely hard and heavy, with decidedly interwoven grain texture; very fine; highly difficult to work; extremely durable
    Uses: Bearings or bushings for propeller shafts, mallets, chisel blocks, brush backs.
    Availability: Rare in larger sizes
    Price Range: Expensive

  • MAHOGANY, AFRICAN
    Khaya ivorensis

    Source: Africa (Ivory Coast, Gold Coast, French Cameroon, Cape Lopez, Nigeria).
    Color: Light pink to redish brown and tannish-brown.
    Pattern: Although pores are distributed, this wood produces a very distinct, pleasing grain. The most lavishly figured mahoganyoffered in plain stripe, broken stripe, mottle, fiddleback, fine crotches and faux swirl
    Characteristics: Available in great lengths and widths; milder textured with slightly larger pores than other mahogany species; relatively hard; works well; highly lustrious; polishes well; durable.
    Uses: Interiors; furniture; accessories and art objects; boats, etc.
    Availability: Readily available as veneer (all cutting methods used); readily available as lumber.
    Price Range: Average; for highly figured veneer, valuable.

  • MAHOGANY, HONDURAS
    Swietenia spp.

    Source: Peruvian,Brazilizn,Tabasco,Honduras,Mexican,Guatemalan,Nicaraguan,Jamaica(brazilian marketed as Amazon Mahogany).
    Color: Varies from a light redish or yellowish-brown to a rich, dark red, depending upon country of origin and situation. Most supplies tend to be yellowish-tan, changing on brief exposure to rich, golden brown.
    Pattern: A considerable variety of figures, similar to African Mahogany except crotches are not readily available. Straighter grain generally.
    Characteristics: Lighter and softer than Cuban; mostly straight-grained but even when interlocked is exceptionally stable; more mellow texture than Cuban (West Indian); extreemly good strength properties; works well; stains and finishes well; durable and decay resistant; Central America produces more figured logs for fancy veneers.
    Uses: Furniture; paneling; fine joinery; boats and ships; pattern making; exterior uses.
    Availability: Readily available - Central American in veneer (plain and quarter sliced, half-round); readily available.
    Price Range: Average

  • MAHOGANY, PHILIPPINE
    Shorea negrosensis, Pentacme spp.

    Source:Philippine Islands.
    Color: Red to brown.
    Pattern: Ribbon stripe; interlocking grain.
    Characteristics: Coarse texture; large pores.
    Uses: Furniture; doors; and cabinetmaking.
    Availability: Readily available as veneer (quarter sliced, rotary cut); readily available as lumber.
    Price Range: Inexpensive.

  • MAPLE, EASTERN
    Acer saccharum
    Birds Eye Maple, Curly Maple, Fiddleback Maple, Northern Maple, Rock Maple, Sugar Maple, Black Maple
    Source: Lake States, Appalachians, Northwest US; Canada
    Color: Cream to light reddish-brown heartwood; thin white sapwood tinged slightly with reddish-brown.
    Pattern: Usually straight-grained; sometimes found highly figured with curly, fiddleback, blistered, quilted, birds eye or burl grain, scattered over entire tree or in irregular stripes and patches.
    Characteristics: Heavy; hard; strong; close-grained; tough; stiff; uniform texture. Excellent resistance to abrasion and indentation.
    Uses: Furniture; interiors; fixtures; flooring; woodenware; cutting surfaces;bakery paddles and other industrial uses; school furniture;decorative inlays and overlays.
    Availability: Plain maple readily available as veneer (plain sliced, half round, full rotary); Figured maple (including birds eye, butts, etc.) limited as veneer (all cutting methods used).
    Price Range: Plain maple - average; Figured maple - valuable.

  • OAK, RED
    Quercus ruba
    Source: Throughout the eastern United States;especially in the Appalachians, Ohio, Kentucky.
    Color: Slightly redder tinge than White Oak (though hard for an untrained eye to tell.
    Pattern: Flake figure less prominent than in White Oak.
    Characteristics: Coarse grain with large round open pores.
    Uses: Furniture, trim, and nearly all common uses where hardwoods are used.
    Availability: Plentiful
    Price Range: Meduim

  • OAK, WHITE
    Quercus, alba
    Source: Entire eastern United States, especially in the Central States and down throught the Appalachian region.
    Color: From light brown with a greyish tinge in the hearwood toshades of ochre in the sapwood.
    Pattern: More pronounced and longer rays than red oak, and more frequently rift-sawn for the comb-grain, pin striped figure than red oak.
    Characteristics: Pores are angular and very numerous and filled with a glistning suvstand called tyloses, which makes this wood especially suitable for water-tight containers (barrel staves) and where water-restistance is required. Tannic acid in the wood protects it from fungi and insects. Closer grained that you will findin red oak.
    Uses: Nearly all common uses of hardwoods, and is especially popular where strength and durability are required. Alos for water-tight or water resistant purposes.
    Availability: Readily available as lumber and veneer.
    Price Range: Medium

  • PADOUK, AFRICAN
    Pterocarpus soyauxii
    Corail, Vermillion
    Source: African West Coast
    Color: Golden Red
    Pattern: Striped
    Characteristics: Alternate layers if hard and soft grain; pores are irregular in size and position.
    Uses: Fine furniture
    Availability: Limited as lumber; Rare as veneer
    Price Range: Expensive

  • POPLAR, BALSAM
    Populus balsamifera
    Poplar
    Source: Northern United States into Canada
    Color: Ranges from dark greenish-yellow to light yellow.
    Pattern: Undistinguishable
    Characteristics: One of the softer hardwoods. Works well.
    Uses: Core stock; Paint grade trim & mouldings
    Availability: Rare as veneer; readily available in Pacific Northwest as lumber.
    Price Range: Modest

  • ROSEWOOD, EAST INDIAN
    Dalbergia nigra
    Bombay Rosewood, Bombay Blackwood (India), Malobar.
    Source: Southern India and Ceylon.
    Color: Dark purple to ebony; streaks of red or yellow.
    Pattern: Small to medium pores in wavy lines; exceedingly fine rays; occasionally crotches and swirls.
    Characteristics: Stand up exceptionally well under all conditions; texture is close, firm and hard; requires rather a sharp tool to secure a smooth surface; very moderate shrinkage.
    Uses: Wall paneling and fine furniture.
    Availability: Limited as veneer (quarter sliced, half-round).
    Price Range: Valuable

  • TEAK
    Tectona grandis
    Burma Teak, Genuine Teak, Rangoon Teak
    Source: Burma, Java, East India, Thailand.
    Color: Tawny yellow to dark brown, often with lighter streaks.
    Pattern: A great deal like walnut, sometimes mottled and fiddleback.
    Characteristics: Strong; tough; oily. Except for oiliness much like walnut.
    Uses: Paneling; furniture; floors; ship decking
    Availability: Readily available as veneer (plain and quarter sliced); limited as lumber.
    Price Range: Valuable.

  • WALNUT, AMERICAN BLACK
    Juglans nigra
    American Black Walnut, Black Walnut
    Source: While walnut grows throughout the United States and Southern Canada, its commercial range is confined largely to some fifteen Central States.
    Color: Light grey-brown to dark purplish-brown.
    Pattern: plain to highly figured. This one species produces a greater variety of figure types than any other, approached only by mahogany. Longwood (plain and quarter sliced, half-round, both plain and figured; crotches; swirls; stumpwood and occasionally burls).
    Characteristics: Moderately heavy; very strong for its weight; exceptionally stable.
    Uses: Furniture; architectural woodwork; gunstocks; novelties.
    Availability: Readily available as veneer; readily available as lumber.
    Price Range: Medium to valuable for highly figured types.

  • YEW, AMERICAN
    Taxus brevifolia
    Pacific or Western Yew
    Source: Pacific Coast of The US and Southwest Canada
    Color: Reddish-brown
    Pattern: Close grained
    Characteristics: Heavy; hard;
    Uses: Lumber, archery bows
    Availability: Rare in large sizes
    Price Range: Expensive

  • ZEBRAWOOD
    Microberlinia brazzavillensis
    Zebra Wood, Zebrano, Zingana
    Source: African Cameroon; Gaboon, West Africa
    Color: Straw and dark brown.
    Pattern: Striped; dark brown stripes; lustrous surface.
    Characteristics: Heavy; hard; with sonewhat coarse texture
    Uses: Veneer - wall paneling, inlays
    Availability: Readily available as veneer (quarter sliced)
    Price Range: High




  • Source:
    Color:
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    Characteristics:
    Uses:
    Availability:
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    The above information is accumulated from many sources. The majority of this information is derived from the "Fine Hardwoods Selectorama" published as a cooperative effort of the Fine Hardwood Veneer Association and American Walnut Manufacturers Association, 5603 West Raymond Street - Suite 0 - Indianapolis, Indiana 46241. Telephone: (317) 244-3311.

    ©1999 Compton Lumber Co., Inc.
    Seattle, Washington USA
    E-mail comments or questions to: Steve Compton
    Last update: February 10, 1999