Use this guide (or a downloadable version - PDF 502 Kb) to identify tropical timber in the shops - the chart is arranged from light to dark wood. Our recommendation is that products made from the types of timber species shown here should only be bought if they are FSC-certified.
| Name | Status | How it may be used | |
Abachi
|
LR (lc) | Furniture components, plywood, joinery, millwork, boxes and crates, blockboard, particle and fiberboard, patternmaking, artificial limbs, sauna. |  |
Ramin
|
NE VU A1cd NE NE VU A1cd+2cd VU A1cd |
Furniture, joinery, moldings, paneling, flooring, turnery, plywood, nonstriking handles (brooms), dowels, picture frames, a general utility wood. |  |
Marupa
|
Interior construction, boxes and crates, furniture components, veneer and plywood, pattern making, millwork, particleboard and fiberboard. |  |
|
Guatambu
|
EN A1acd+2cd |
Furniture, cabinetwork, tool handles, flooring, turnery. Suggested as a substitute for birch and hard maple |
|
White Meranti
|
EN A1cd+2cd CR A1cd |
Veneer and plywood, flooring, general construction, vats and casks, boat framing. |  |
Light Red Meranti
|
CR A1cd EN A1cd |
Light structural work, furniture components, joinery, plywood, cabinetwork, flooring, concrete form work, a general utility wood. |  |
Parashorea / White Seraya / White Salaun
|
CR A1cd EN A1cd, C2a, D EN A1cd, B1+2c EN B1+2e, D CR A1cd, B1+2c, C2a CR A1cd, B1+2c, C2a CR A1cd CR A1cd, B1+2c |
Interior joinery, light construction, flooring, plywood, furniture and cabinetwork, general carpentry work, ships' decking. |  |
Yellow Meranti
|
CR A1cd EN A1cd CR A1cd CR A1cd |
Joinery, flooring, furniture components, plywood, paneling, light structural work. Dammar exudates are collected from trees in Malaya. |  |
Afrormorsia
|
EN A1cd | Boatbuilding, joinery, flooring, furniture, decorative veneers, considered an excellent teak substitute. |  |
Iroko, Kambala
|
VU A1cd VU A1d |
Suggested as a teak substitute. Joinery, boatbuilding, piling and marine work, domestic flooring, furniture, veneer, railroad crossties, cabinetwork, shop fittings. |  |
Mahogany
|
VU A1cd VU A1cd+2cd EN A1cd |
Fine furniture and cabinet making, interior trim, paneling, fancy veneers, musical instruments, boat building, pattern making, turnery, and carving. |  |
Bangkirai
|
Heavy construction, framing of boats, parquet flooring, heavy-duty flooring, utility and garden furniture. |  |
|
Sapelli
|
VU A1cd | Furniture and cabinetwork, decorative veneers, plywood, joinery, flooring, paneling. |  |
Teak
|
NE | Shipbuilding, joinery, furniture, flooring, carving, cabinetwork, paneling, turnery, tanks and vats, fixtures requiring high resistance to acids. |  |
Khaya / African Mahogany
|
VU A1cd VU A1cd VU A1cd EN A1cd VU A1cd |
Furniture and cabinetwood, boatbuilding, joinery, veneer and plywood, paneling, flooring,shop fixtures. |  |
Jatoba
|
Tool handles and other applications where good shock resistance is needed, steam-bent parts, flooring, turnery, furniture and cabinet work, railroad crossties tree-nails, gear cogs, wheel rims, and other specialty items. Tree exudes a rosin-like gum known commercially as South American copal. Seed pods contain an edible pulp. |  |
|
Cumaru / Tonka / Ebo
|
Heavy construction, cogs and shafts, barge and dock fenders, flooring, railroad crossties, pulp mill equipment, tool handles, bearings, turnery. A substitute for lignum vitae. |  |
|
Dark Red Meranti
|
LR lc EN A1cd EN A1cd CR A1cd |
Veneer and plywood, joinery, flooring, furniture and cabinetwork, general construction, boatbuilding. |  |
Sipo
|
VU A1cd | Furniture and cabinetwork, joinery, decorative veneers and plywood, boat construction. |  |
Curupau
|
Used for heavy exterior construction and marine work, flooring, railroad crossties, tool handles, turnery. The bark is extracted for its tannin |  |
|
Padouk
|
Rough construction lumber, particleboard and fiberboard, general carpentry, plywood, fine joinery, fancy turnery, carvings, flooring, decorative veneer, tool and knife handles. Furniture, boat building. |  |
|
Honduras Mahogany
|
VU A1cd+2cd |
Fine furniture and cabinet making, interior trim, paneling, fancy veneers, musical instruments, boat building, pattern making, turnery, and carving |
|
Machiche
|
Heavy construction, flooring, furniture components. Durable species suggested for railroad crossties. |  |
|
Muirapiranga, Satinè
|
|
General construction work, flooring, furniture, cabinet work, veneers, and tool handles. |
|
Eucalyptus
|
|
Heavy construction but not for dock and harbor work, flooring, used locally for plywood. |
|
Ipe
|
|
Railroad crossties, heavy construction, tool handles, turnery, industrial flooring, textile mill items, decorative veneers |
|
Keruing / Yang/ Apitong
|
EN A1cd+2cd, B1+2c CR A1cd+2cd CR A1cd+2cd, B1+2c CR A1cd+2cd CR A1cd+2cd, B1+2c |
General construction work, framework for boats, flooring, pallets, chemical processing equipment, veneer and plywood, suggested for railroad crossties if treated. |  |
Morado
|
|
Fine furniture, decorative veneers, turnery, specialty items, and cabinet work. Generally useful for the same purposes as Brazilian rosewood ( Dalbergia nigra ). |
|
Indian Rosewood
|
|
Fine furniture and cabinetwork, musical instruments, turnery, decorative veneers, specialty items |
|
Cocobolo
|
|
Highly favored in the cutlery trade for handles, inlay work, brush backs, musical and scientific instruments, jewelry boxes, chessmen, and other specialty items |
|
Bongossi / Azobe
|
VU A1cd | Heavy durable construction work, harbor work, heavy-duty flooring, parquet flooring, railroad crossties |  |
Yellow Balau
|
EN A1cd |
Heavy construction, framing of boats, parquet flooring, heavy-duty flooring, utility and garden furniture. |  |
Wenge / Panga Panga
|
EN A1c,d | Parquet or strip flooring, joinery, general construction, specialty items. Wenge is used as a hickory substitute in sporting goods, also for decorative veneer. |  |
Merbau, Kwila
|
VU A1cd |
Flooring, furniture, paneling, fine joinery, decorative turnery, cabinetmaking, musical instruments, specialty items. The wood is also a dye source. |  |
