Mystery wood ID help

[Bühlmann]

I was given a box of smallish pieces “exotic” woods. Looks like most came from a Rockler or Woodcraft store and are labeled as such. Only one piece isn’t, and I thought I’d throw it out here to see what y’all think. I calculated it’s density at 73.94 lb/ft3, which brought me to what I think are three posssibles:

1. Kingwood
2. Brazilian Ebony (Coracao de Negro)
3. Katalox

It may be neither of the above What do you think?

 

[SwissHeritageCo]

Mahagony?

 

[Sean Yaw]

It looks like some Brazilian Rosewood I have.

 

[nickycat]

can you plane or sand the face and end grain surfaces a bit and then wet it with water or alcohol to bring the grain out better?

 

[SwissHeritageCo]

Those lateral marks are saw marks right... not part of the grain?

 

[BluntCut MetalWorks]

I've a katalox board look & size similar to yours.

 

[nickycat]

Those lateral marks are saw marks right... not part of the grain?

not going to speak for the author but they appear to be band saw marks

 

[Bühlmann]

Those lateral marks are saw marks right... not part of the grain?

Those are planer marks, I believe.

 

[Bühlmann]

can you plane or sand the face and end grain surfaces a bit and then wet it with water or alcohol to bring the grain out better?

I can do that, but I’m not in the shop today. The ends are waxed, that’s why I didn’t take pics of that. Tomorrow I have all day to play in the shop!

 

[A.McPherson]

Ipe?

 

[Locutus D'Borg]

Macassar ebony? Bog oak?

 

[Fixall]

Looks like katalox to me too.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

My first thought was katalox. Nearly identical density and look.

 

[Joseph Bandeko]

What's it smell like when you send it?
And like previously mentioned, an end grain pic would help.

 

[Greenberg Woods]

I would guess katalox or maybe Brazilian ebony based on the info given. The sort of exotics rockler/ woodcraft and the like have are not going to be super rare or unheard of, they focus on woods they can keep getting more of.

If you can

Sand the face a little
Sand the end grain a little

And describe any odor the sawdust has that would be the best way to narrow it down.

 

[Bühlmann]

It smells like cinnamon & cloves when cut & sanded.

End grain:


Face sanded raw:


Face sanded after wiping with acetone:

 

[Fixall]

I wouldn’t have said cocobolo…. But cocobolo is the only common wood I’ve worked with that smells like cinnamon. That last picture looks like cocobolo, just without the color you often see.

Whatcha think, Ben?

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Katalox darkens with age.
katalox endbrain -


Cocobola endgrain -


Cocobola does have a cinnamon spice smell. Katalox has a slightly spicy smell, but I never thought of it as cinnamon.

 

[nickycat]

All dalbergia species (east indian rosewood and cocobolo being two of the most common) have somewhat of a "spice" scent, but I would not say it was cinnamon, maybe clove-like though. To me it is more of a "sweetness".

I've never personally worked with katalox so I cannot comment first hand regarding the scent.

This wood ID question intrigued me and in my "digging" based on the clues you provided (scent in particular), I am led to think you may have camaru wood.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Camaru, or Brazillian teak, is noted for a cinnamon smell when sanded, but the color is usually lighter. The end grain does look the same. On what I have seen the surface is not as coarse as what the OP shows, and definitely much lighter. I am sure the color can vary, especially if it has been exposed to air for a long time. I have cocobolo that looks like desert ironwood. I have Osage orange that is deep walnut colored, too.

Look at the images here:

Cumaru | The Wood Database (Hardwood)

www.wood-database.com