Botanical Name:
Swietenia macrophylla

Weight:
Air-Dried: 30-52 pounds per cubic foot.

Stability:
Excellent in kiln dried lumber.

Color:
Reddish brown to medium red which darkens to a deep reddish-brown with time.

Finishing Qualities:
Excellent! Honduras Mahogany readily accepts a wide range of common stains and finish.

Tree Characteristics:
Height of 150′ with trunk diameters as large as 6′. Honduras mahogany prefers dry forests and can also be found in high elevation stands.

Wood Characteristics:
Straight grain with a fine even texture. Honduras Mahogany is relatively free of voids and pockets.

Workability:
Excellent! Honduras mahogany is one of the best woods for machining, cutting, and planing. Tools should be kept sharp, and a low angle should be used when planing Mahogany with a wavy grain pattern. Honduras Mahogany can be sanded very easily and efficiently. Routered edges are crisp and sharp. Honduras Mahogany also turns well on a lathe.

Durability:
Very Good! The wood is strong and dense. It will dent with a sharp hit from a solid blunt object. Slightly less durability than Red Oak. For outdoor applications such as patio furniture and wooden boats this boat is an excellent choice for its combination of strength and rot resistant properties.

Drying:
Honduras Mahogany can be air-seasoned and kiln-dried without appreciable warping or checking. Movement after manufacture is rated as small.

There are numerous species of mahogany and a number of other species of trees called mahogany in trade. Generally, true mahoganies are those in the genus Swietenia, the species of which are found throughout the Caribbean and Central and South America. However, species from Africa in the genus Khaya are also considered mahoganies as they are distantly related.

Mahoganies are typically used for high-end indoor furniture, outdoor furniture, custom woodworking, foyers, entry doors, window frames, decking, caskets, humidors and craft items.