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Bill Rogers
03-20-2012, 2:18 PM
I purchased this piece of wood a while back at an estate sale and I figure that it is time to find out what it is! My first reaction is that it is some sort of rosewood as it is relatively heavy (guessing 8 lbs. for a 2' x 2" x 3" piece) dark and tight grained.

Here is what it looks like unjointed:
227623



And here is what it looked like when I jointed two sides four days ago:

227614227613227615

It was the most bizarre wood I have ever seen. The purple, yellow and orange colors looked as if someone had colored them in with a highlighter!! Today the purple and orange are barely visible and the yellow is there but I would expect that it will darken over time.
One last thing: the two sides that I jointed have a slightly sweet, pleasant aroma.

Brent VanFossen
03-20-2012, 4:08 PM
Do a google image search for Madagascar Rosewood. The grain pattern, basic color, and strong occasional dark lines all match. Those purples and yellows are gorgeous. Here is one link: http://www.alliedlutherie.com/madagascarrw.htm

Montgomery Scott
03-21-2012, 10:07 AM
Definitely cocobolo. No way it is Madagascar RW.

Bill Rogers
03-21-2012, 10:28 AM
For what it is worth, I sent the pictures to Paul at The Hobbit House, Inc. and he said that This is very likely East Indian rosewood, but that’s a guess.

Mike Hollingsworth
03-21-2012, 10:31 AM
Definitely Cocobolo.

John Coloccia
03-21-2012, 10:35 AM
Cocobolo. Wipe it with a paper towel wet with naptha or acetone. You'll endlessly wipe off this greenish oil.

Bill Rogers
03-21-2012, 10:53 AM
Cocobolo. Wipe it with a paper towel wet with naptha or acetone. You'll endlessly wipe off this greenish oil.

I didn't have any naptha or acetone on hand so I wiped it down with my girl friend, Methyl Ethyl. Instead of a endless amount of greenish oil I have a dark brown substance similar in appearance to what you get when you wipe down mahogany with mineral spirits after sanding.

John Coloccia
03-21-2012, 12:32 PM
One man's dark, sickly green is another man's brown :)

Damon Stathatos
03-21-2012, 1:11 PM
I deal with cocobolo every day and I'd say definitely it's coco. It gets real vibrant, almost neon when freshly surfaced or cut and then oxidizes back down after exposure to UV.

Erik France
03-21-2012, 1:22 PM
I thought it was cocobolo when I saw the post yesterday too.
For many, many images of the wood check this page:
http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/cocobolo.htm
(looks like Bill already emailed him)

Brent VanFossen
03-21-2012, 1:38 PM
Cocobolo was my other choice. LOL. I'll defer to the consensus here. What a beautiful piece of wood. I'll say you scored.

Cocobolo is one of the true rosewoods in the genus Dalbergia.