Name African Padauk (Pterocarpus soyauxii)
Type Hardwood.
Other Names Also known as barwood, comwood, corail, African coralwood, muenge, mbe, mbil, mututi, ngula, vermillion, and yomo.
Sources Grows in central and West Africa.
Appearance Straight to interlocked grain with a moderately coarse texture and large pores. Rich red to purple red heartwood and pale-beige sapwood.
Physical Props Hard, heavy, and strong with exceptional decay resistance and dimensional stability. Not suitable for steam bending.
Working Props Works well with hand and machine tools. Glues easily and holds nails and screws well. Finishes to a beautiful sheen without the need for stain.
Uses Excellent turning wood - used for fancy turnery such as knife and tool handles. Also prized for high end cabinets, furniture, carving, veneer, inlay, flooring, dyewood, joinery, dowels, shuttles, spindles, paddles, and boat building.

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Name Pau Marfim (Balfourodendron riedelianum)
Type Hardwood.
Other Names Also known as moroti, guatambu moroti, quatamba, farinha seca, pau liso, kyrandy, and ivorywood.
Sources Grows in Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina.
Appearance Dense, fine textured, mostly straight grained with a creamy white color. Little contrast between sapwood and heartwood although heartwood sometimes has darker streaks.
Physical Props Heavy, tough, and strong with excellent shock resistance and wear properties. Stable in use. Low decay resistance.
Working Props Relatively easy to work although it can quickly blunt cutting edges. Excellent for turnery. Nails, screws, and glues without difficulty. Takes stains well and polishes to a smooth, fine finish.
Uses Used as a substitute for maple and birch, especially for flooring - due to exceptional wear resistance. Also used for tool handles, oars, textile rollers, drawing instruments, cabinetwork, furniture, paneling, and veneer.

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Name Pear (Pyrus communis)
Type Hardwood.
Other Names Also known as peartree, pearwood, and common pear.
Sources Grows in North America, Europe, and parts of western and southeast Asia.
Appearance Typically straight grained with a tight, uniform texture. Pinkish brown heartwood and sapwood with little dilineation between them.
Physical Props Heavy, hard, and tough (difficult to split) with moderate strength, low stiffness, good dimensional stability, and low decay resistance.
Working Props Works well with tools in any direction due to uniformity of fibers. Exceptional turning, carving, and polishing properties. Accepts stains and finishes extremely well.
Uses Prized for fancy turnery such as tool handles, knife handles, umbrella handles, and bowls. Sliced into decorative veneers for cabinets, paneling, marquetry, and inlay. Other uses include rulers, engravings, printing blocks, and musical instruments.

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