Bolivian Rosewood: A Hardwood Of Exceptional Strength And Beauty

Bolivian Rosewood, also known as Pau Ferro, Santos Rosewood, or Morado, is a tropical exotic hardwood that is native to South America, specifically Bolivia and Brazil. It is a dense and exceptionally hard wood with a fine texture and a high luster. Its colour ranges from reddish/orange to dark violet/brown with contrasting darker streaks, usually black. Bolivian Rosewood is not a true Rosewood, as it does not belong to the Dalbergia genus, but it is a good alternative to endangered Brazilian Rosewood.

Bolivian Rosewood is harder than true rosewoods

Bolivian Rosewood, also known as Pau Ferro, Santos Rosewood, or Morado, is an exceptionally hard and beautiful wood. It is harder than true rosewoods, with a Janka hardness of 1,960 lbf/ft^2. This makes it a good alternative to rosewoods, especially the endangered Brazilian Rosewood.

Bolivian Rosewood has a fine texture and a wide range of colours, from reddish/orange to dark violet/brown, usually with contrasting darker black streaks. The colour can also range from dark burgundy to deep purple to rich brown, with yellow sap providing a nice contrast. The wood has a high luster and a straight grain pattern, sometimes slightly irregular.

The trees that produce Bolivian Rosewood grow in Bolivia and some surrounding countries, and the logs are relatively small, usually only producing lumber 3-6" wide. Only a small percentage of logs are large enough to cut high-quality wide boards.

Bolivian Rosewood is very dense and can blunt cutting tools. It has natural oils that complicate the gluing process, but it glues better than true rosewoods. It has excellent dimensional stability.

Bolivian Rosewood is commonly used in musical instruments, woodturning, and other specialty products and furniture. It is a popular choice for acoustic and electric guitars and is also used for high-end veneers, fine furniture, architectural millwork, and jewelry boxes, among other applications.

It has a Janka Hardness of 1,960 lbs/ft

Bolivian Rosewood, also known as Pau Ferro, Santos Rosewood, or Morado, is an exceptionally hard and beautiful wood. With a Janka Hardness of 1,960 lbs/ft, it is a dense and heavy wood that can blunt cutting tools. Its density and hardness make it a suitable material for luxury furniture-making, flooring, musical instruments, and woodturning.

Bolivian Rosewood is not a true Rosewood, as its scientific name does not contain Dalbergia. However, it shares many characteristics with true rosewoods, including its colours, working properties, and density. The colour of Bolivian Rosewood can vary widely, ranging from reddish/orange to a dark violet/brown, often with contrasting darker black streaks. The sap is pale yellow, providing a nice contrast to the heartwood.

The trees that produce Bolivian Rosewood are native to Bolivia and some surrounding countries, such as Brazil. The logs are typically small, producing lumber that is only 3-6" wide. Due to its natural oils, Bolivian Rosewood can be challenging to glue, similar to other Rosewoods. However, it has excellent dimensional stability and is less expensive than true rosewoods, making it a popular choice for various applications.

Bolivian Rosewood is commonly used in acoustic and electric guitars, veneers, jewellery boxes, and other specialty products. Its fine texture and dark colour make it a desirable wood for fine furniture and architectural millwork. When finished, it resembles East Indian Rosewood but with a greater colour range.

It is very dense and can blunt cutting tools

Bolivian Rosewood, or Morado, Santos Rosewood, and Pau Ferro, is an exceptionally hard and beautiful wood. It is a tropical exotic hardwood with a fine, even texture and a high lustre. Its colour ranges from reddish/orange to a dark violet/brown, with contrasting darker black streaks. It is a dense wood that can blunt cutting tools.

Bolivian Rosewood is not a true Rosewood, as its scientific name does not contain Dalbergia. However, it shares many characteristics with true Rosewoods, including its colour, working properties, and density. It is a good alternative to Rosewoods, particularly the endangered Brazilian Rosewood.

The density of Bolivian Rosewood is reflected in its Janka Hardness rating of 1,960 lbs/ft. This high density makes it a very hard wood that can blunt cutting tools. Its density also gives it excellent dimensional stability.

Bolivian Rosewood is a popular choice for a wide range of applications, including veneer, lumber, fine furniture, architectural millwork, guitar building, instrument making, wood turning, automotive and aircraft interiors, inlaying, and box making. Its density and hardness make it a durable and stable material for these applications.

The natural oils in Bolivian Rosewood, which are common in Rosewoods, can complicate the gluing process. However, its density and hardness make it a suitable material for high-end applications where durability and stability are important.

It is an exotic wood with a wide range of colours

Bolivian Rosewood is an exotic wood species with a wide range of colours. It is also known as Morado, Santos Rosewood, or Pau Ferro, which means "Ironwood" in English. The colour of Bolivian Rosewood can vary from reddish/orange to a dark violet/brown, with contrasting darker black streaks. The colour can also range from violet streaks to coffee browns and black, with black striping on a dark brown background. Over time, the colour of the wood lightens, especially in direct sunlight, turning to lighter gold/tan tones.

Bolivian Rosewood is a beautiful and exceptionally hard wood. It is a popular choice for acoustic and electric guitars, as well as high-end veneers, fine furniture, and architectural millwork. The wood is dense and hard, which can blunt cutting tools, and its natural oils complicate the gluing process. However, it has excellent dimensional stability and is less expensive than other true rosewoods.

The trees that produce Bolivian Rosewood are native to Bolivia and some surrounding countries. The logs are typically small, producing lumber that is only 3-6" wide. Only a small percentage of logs are large enough to cut high-quality wide boards. The scientific name of Bolivian Rosewood is Machaerium spp., which can include the species M. scleroxylon, M. acutifolium, and M. villosum.

In summary, Bolivian Rosewood is an exotic and beautiful wood with a wide range of colours, from reddish-orange to dark violet/brown, often with black streaks. It is a hard and dense wood that is popular for a variety of applications, including guitars, veneers, and furniture.

It is used for making musical instruments, veneers, and furniture

Bolivian Rosewood, also known as Pau Ferro, Morado, Santos Rosewood, and Machaerium spp. (primarily M. scleroxylon), is a dense tropical hardwood from South America. It is a popular choice for making musical instruments, veneers, and furniture due to its aesthetic and workable properties.

Bolivian Rosewood exhibits a wide range of colours, from reddish/orange to dark purple/brown, with contrasting darker black streaks and pale yellow sapwood. Its fine, even texture and high luster enhance its visual appeal. The wood is also known for its colour-changing properties, lightening over time, especially in direct sunlight, from darker brown tones to lighter gold/tan shades.

In terms of workability, Bolivian Rosewood is considered fair. While it can blunt cutting tools and exhibit tearout during machining operations, it turns and finishes well. It glues better than true rosewoods and is less expensive, making it a popular choice for musical instruments. Acoustic and electric guitars are commonly crafted from Bolivian Rosewood. It is also used for veneers, jewellery boxes, cabinetry, flooring, interior trim, woodturning, and other specialty wood objects and furniture.

Bolivian Rosewood is a suitable alternative to endangered Brazilian Rosewood and other true rosewoods. Its hardness, density, and durability make it a desirable wood for various applications, contributing to its popularity in woodworking and furniture-making.

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