Similiar Woods:  Tiama, Sapeli, Swietenia Macrophylla

Trade Names:  Khaya, African Mahogany

Origin:  Africa

Range:  There are five known types of Khaya. 1. Antotheka 2. Ivorensis 3. Senegalensis 4. Grandifolia 5. Myasica, ranging from Senegal in the northwest, all the way to South Africa, in the south and Tanzania in the southeast. There are huge differences between the various types as far as weight structure and color are concerned.

Uses:  Khaya is used for boat building, paneling, moulding, door and window frames, high end furniture as well as for architectural projects. Khaya Ivorensis is the preferred specie for veneer and lumber.

Properties:  Between the 5 types of Khaya mentioned above, all of which are growing in various climate conditions, soil types and elevations there are too many properties, characteristics, (colors, weights, figure types, grains, etc.), to mention in a small article. The colors can range from blonde to brown, pink to red. The grains range from mild to ribbon stripe, to broken stripe. Figure types range from crotch, burl, fiddleback, mottled, beeswing, pomele, to drape. Although not an official member to the Mahogany family it is widely used to replace applications where a true Mahogany is desired.

Machining:  In general this specie works easily except when you have trees with interlocking grain.

Seasoning:  These timbers season fairly well with little degrade.