about mahogany

[Eric John]

Afternoon!

im thinking about attempting a federal sideboard. lately ive been using sapele.
but i think the ribbon stripes inherent to the wood will be a problem.
I understand or at least think you cannot get honduras mahogany anymore.
my question is what has everyone been using for their mahogany projects?


Regards
Eric

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Genuine Mahogany is still available. I can buy it in Kansas City and St. Louis Missouri. Peruvian Mahogany is restricted by CITES

Genuine Mahogany | South Florida Lumber (http://southfloridalbr.com/tropical-hardwoods/genuine-mahogany/)

[Stan Calow]

Try Greener Lumber https://greenerlumber.3dcartstores.com in Mexico, Missouri. Specializing in sinker mahogany and some other species. I've gotten some outstanding wide mahogany boards from them in the past.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Try Greener Lumber https://greenerlumber.3dcartstores.com in Mexico, Missouri. Specializing in sinker mahogany and some other species. I've gotten some outstanding wide mahogany boards from them in the past.

I have played a sinker Mandolin. It was very good looking. It was not the best sounding Mahogany mandolin I have heard. The prices eliminate me from that market. I think I paid under $20.00 BF at Metro Hardwoods in April.

[Robert LaPlaca]

Eric, I build period furniture, so needless to say use plenty of Mahogany. Yes, you can still purchase Mahogany, it’s not the easiest of species to find and the price per Bd/Ft is pretty frightening.

The supplier that I have been buying from was suppling lumber that was milled 50 years ago from Peru, the Mahogany was beautiful. As the old stock has dwindled down, the quality of newer post CITES material has gone down.

[Prashun Patel]

Consider cherry. Age appropriate and without some of the ethical challenges of HM.

[Dave Sabo]

Mahogany is easily available from sustainable sources today.

You just need to be willing go pay for it.

[John K Jordan]

Eric,

My good friend Pete Kekel still has Honduran Mahogony. If interested you can look up his web site: Big Monk Lumber or just give him a call at 859-653-3520 and see what he has in stock. He is in Kentucky but hauls wood to many of the woodturning symposiums such as the upcoming AAW if there is one near your area. He said what he as left is 8/4, long planks. I got some from him a and the wood is excellent, straight, clear. I think the pieces I got from him were 10” wide or so.

JKJ

[Patrick Kane]

If you were in PA, id happily have you come by. I bought out an old timer's shop 3-4 years ago and ended up with a fair amount of 8/4, 6/4, and 4/4 mahogany from the 1970s. Sadly, the guy was a pattern maker, which means he was chewing up prime honduran mahogany to make casting patterns : O

[Jim Becker]

Hearne carries genuine mahogany.

https://www.hearnehardwoods.com/price-list/

[Ric Jones]

genuine is tough to get here in Az, there is some available, but gas is much cheaper, lol

i do have a small stash of what was called African mahogany, nice looking stuff. its destined to become a G&G blanket chest, along with one in cherry and walnut, have three granddaughters needing a stash chest.
rj in az

[Mike King]

Irion Lumber also carries genuine mahogany.

[Jim Becker]

Irion Lumber also carries genuine mahogany.

That was the first place I looked before posting the link to Hearne about and the Irion site didn't have it listed, unless I missed it somewhere.

[Andrew Hughes]

Eric make sure you buy Genuine mahogany avoid substitutes. African,sapele etc do not have all the attributes of Genuine mahogany.
Heres a book if your not sure.
And here is a real world example Genuine mahogany.
A fish take stand.

[Tom M King]

I wish I could work with it, but it gives me terrible Asthma symptoms. I used it in one house I built, and handrails in our house in 1980, but never again. It was a pleasure while it lasted though. I can cut veneer with a knife, but can't sand it, or make sawdust.

Andrew, thanks for the tip on the book, but sorry guys, looks like I just bought the last copy on ebay.

[John K Jordan]

Eric make sure you buy Genuine mahogany avoid substitutes. African,sapele etc do not have all the attributes of Genuine mahogany.
Heres a book if your not sure.....

Amazon carries the book too.

Also, this article on the Wood Database web site on mahogany mixups/substitutes is good: https://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/mahogany-mixups-the-lowdown/

JKJ

[Mike Henderson]

I looked it up on Amazon. It's only 26 pages, available used for $10 with $4 shipping, or $21 new in paperback.

Mike

[Robert London]

My local Klingspore store has genuine mahogany. Not a huge supply, but it's still available.

A good deal of mahogany is coming from plantations / new growth that is sustainably sourced. Old growth mahogany is a different story.

[Mike King]

That was the first place I looked before posting the link to Hearne about and the Irion site didn't have it listed, unless I missed it somewhere.

https://irion-lumber.s3.amazonaws.com/2021/10/Price-list-side-b-10-19-21.jpg

[Jim Becker]

https://irion-lumber.s3.amazonaws.com/2021/10/Price-list-side-b-10-19-21.jpg

I dug deeper on their site and they do have some mahogany products, but not in grade lumber, at least on the website.

https://irionlumber.com/grade-lumber/

Mahogany slabs:

https://irionlumber.com/?s=Mahogany

Mahogany matched sets:

https://irionlumber.com/matched-sets/mahogany/

[Robert London]

Honduran mahogany isn’t that outrageous all considering. It’s ~$10 a BF for 4/4 and $12 for 8/4 at my local klingspore store. You could find less expensive at a local mill or importer if you try harder.

[Tom M King]

My book off ebay came today. The ad said it was like new, and it is. It's an original from 1940, not a reprint, but not even a folded corner anywhere. There is the slightest bit of old book smell, but you have to get your nose close. I'm glad to get it.

[John K Jordan]

My book off ebay came today. The ad said it was like new, and it is. It's an original from 1940, not a reprint, but not even a folded corner anywhere. There is the slightest bit of old book smell, but you have to get your nose close. I'm glad to get it.

My copy came today too.

JKJ

[Scott Winter]

Hearne carries genuine mahogany.

https://www.hearnehardwoods.com/price-list/

This is where I get my lumber. Great place!

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I do not have a favorite wood but Genuine Mahogany is way up towards the top of the list. Quality has certainly gone down. If you come accoss some gnarly crotch wood or tension wood it can be challenging to cut safely.

[Jim Becker]

Mahogany is a really workable species and generally enjoyable to use for sure. It cuts, shapes, carves and finishes up wonderfully.

[John K Jordan]

Mahogany is a really workable species and generally enjoyable to use for sure. It cuts, shapes, carves and finishes up wonderfully.

When I was at the wood industry at Berea College in 1968 they used a LOT of mahogany (plus maple, cherry, walnut, etc). The ground floor was equipped with a huge bandsaw and other tools for initial breakdown, sliding in big stuff through a rollup door. I remember seeing a "beam" just outside in in a shed lined up with that door they said was mahogany shipped in from out of the country, must have been 2'x3'x40' long. They rolled then end in and crosscut off a chunk then broke it down into sizes needed. The second floor was machining to size with other saws, planers, jointers, big 3-drum sander, lathe, assembly, glue-ups, clamping racks. The third floor was mostly finish sanding, detail, carving, and finishing. They had a full-time staff plus a lot of cheap student labor. I haven't been back in a half century to see what, if anything, has changed.