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Is this Honduran Mahogany?
http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=34288		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  Tai Fu [ Fri Nov 18, 2011 3:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Is this Honduran Mahogany?
I just want some confirmation... I got some Honduran Mahogany from a domestic supplier. The guy calls it Mahogany Swietenia macrophylla, and I just want to make sure it is the same stuff... I got about 7 planks of 1"x4"x40" which is enough for a neck. It was fairly cheap, about a little less than a similarly sized neck blank from LMI minus the shipping. The quality (as you can see) is not all that great but will look good when clear coated. It's fairly light, almost 50% lighter than my Khaya blanks, but the color is also fairly light too.

How can I tell between Khaya and Honduran Mahogany?

Here are some pictures:

Image

Image
Author:  James W B [ Fri Nov 18, 2011 6:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is this Honduran Mahogany?
Khaya is a little bit harry looking.Almost like the grain is raised.I`ve never noticed this with Honduran.Hondo also seems tighter grained,and a little darker in color,To me eyes.
James
Author:  runamuck [ Fri Nov 18, 2011 8:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is this Honduran Mahogany?
Tai Fu wrote:

How can I tell between Khaya and Honduran Mahogany?


I've used thousands of board feet of Honduran and half that of African over the years and from
a photo I'd say it's impossible to tell.

I have a project right now where I've mixed the two and some of the pieces could be either.
Generally speaking, though, African is sold rift sawn and the grain is rowey. - but not always.

Also, and again in general, it tends to be not quite as red as Honduran and the grain lines tend
to be shorter and more pronounced.
Author:  CWLiu [ Fri Nov 18, 2011 9:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is this Honduran Mahogany?
Swietenia macrophylla, aka big leaf mahogany, can grow quite fast in Taiwan. I'm not suprised if those faster-growing trees yield lighter density/color timbers.
Author:  John Arnold [ Fri Nov 18, 2011 10:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is this Honduran Mahogany?
Honduras mahogany has storied rays. In other words, the rays are in horizontal lines that produce ripple marks on tangential (flat sawn) surfaces. The rays appear as short dark lines on the flat sawn surfaces. This is best seen with some magnification.
African mahogany (Khaya) has staggered rays that do not produce the ripple marks.
There are other tropical American woods that resemble mahogany (and also have ripple marks) but they are considerably denser than true mahogany.
Author:  Tai Fu [ Sat Nov 19, 2011 12:26 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Is this Honduran Mahogany?
CWLiu wrote:
Swietenia macrophylla, aka big leaf mahogany, can grow quite fast in Taiwan. I'm not suprised if those faster-growing trees yield lighter density/color timbers.


But I doubt they were grown in Taiwan... logging has been illegal in Taiwan for many years as far as I know.. there just isn't enough lands to grow forests in Taiwan and almost all forests are protected.
Author:  Tai Fu [ Sat Nov 19, 2011 8:52 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Is this Honduran Mahogany?
Now I am even more confused... it's like both species exhibit pretty much the same thing.

But seriously though I am beginning to wonder the viability of those blanks as necks... most of them have light colored stains, I don't know what. A couple has black lines through it that looks like spalting, and all of them have tear outs from the planing operation at the factory... so it could even be Philippine mahogany for all I know. Problem is it's almost impossible to tell the difference without a DNA analysis.
Author:  John Arnold [ Sat Nov 19, 2011 9:26 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Is this Honduran Mahogany?
Quote:
all of them have tear outs from the planing operation at the factory... so it could even be Philippine mahogany for all I know. Problem is it's almost impossible to tell the difference without a DNA analysis.

PM doesn't smell anything like genuine mahogany. The 'fuzziness' that has been mentioned is characteristic of most PM and African mahogany, and is not normal for Honduran. This fuzzy texture is most noticeable on rough sawn surfaces, or surfaces that are coarsely sanded. Once you know what to look for, it is pretty obvious. No need for any DNA tests.
Author:  CWLiu [ Sat Nov 19, 2011 12:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is this Honduran Mahogany?
Tai Fu wrote:
CWLiu wrote:
Swietenia macrophylla, aka big leaf mahogany, can grow quite fast in Taiwan. I'm not suprised if those faster-growing trees yield lighter density/color timbers.


But I doubt they were grown in Taiwan... logging has been illegal in Taiwan for many years as far as I know.. there just isn't enough lands to grow forests in Taiwan and almost all forests are protected.

No I didn't say your neck blanks are from Taiwan, I just said the species grows fast in Taiwan. For a wood vendor, sometimes it's cheaper to import timbers than buying from local sources. They have Taiwanese acacia sets, tho. As for logging, logging trees on private lands are perfectly legal just like harvesting fruits. There's probably almost no land suitable for tree plantation in metropolises, but not elsewhere in Taiwan.
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