50 – Mahogany and Its Imitators

One Name, Many Species

When you say Mahogany you think luxury and fine furniture.  Maybe you think Ron Burgundy...or is that just me?  Regardless the species is synonymous with high quality and fine craftsmanship.  So is it any wonder that the name gets attached to hundred of species and products to dress them up.  The problem is that most of the lumber out there with the trade name isn't Mahogany at all.  

On today's show I talk about genuine Mahogany: what is it and where it comes from.  Then I talk about all the other species worldwide that get sold under a Mahogany name.  Species like Sapele or Utile (aka Sipo wood) or the often confusing conglomerate species, African Mahogany.  All the Mahogany imitators: the good, the bad, and the oh so so ugly.  

Plus I get into the nitty gritty about regional variances within the same species of wood.  This is very common with Mahoganies since most of the species have an enormous geographic range.  Yet despite it all being the same species within that range, the appearance and working characteristics can vary widely.