African wood identification

[Nelson Howe]

A friend and her husband brought this back from Africa about ten years ago. He is no longer alive, and she doesn't know what it is. It's hard and heavy, hand planes fairly easily, though reverse grain tears out even with a sharp double iron. It is purplish, though not as purple as it looks in the one picture, and not as intense as Purple Heart which is South American. Any ideas?

Thanks, Nelson

[Jan Bianchi]

Looks like it might be Pau Rosa from Tanzania. Was he in East Africa?

[nicholas mitchell]

nice looking chunk. Let's just call it Mahogany like everything else. ;)

[Nelson Howe]

I just sent her an email to find out what part of Africa they were in. The description of Pau Rosa seems about right. Thanks,

Nelson

[Nelson Howe]

She says he bought it in Kenya, which is adjacent to Tanzania. So Pau Rosa seems like a good guess.

Nelson

[Jan Bianchi]

I was recently in Mozambique and saw some of what I thought was Pau Rosa which was purplish like your picture.