Bloodwood

Bloodwood (Brosimum rubescens) delivers exactly what the name promises — heartwood in a bright, vivid red that mellows toward brownish-red with light exposure over time. Pale yellowish sapwood does exist, but you'll rarely see it in imported lumber; the trees run wide enough in diameter that suppliers just cut around it.

Working Properties

Bloodwood is extremely dense, hard on tools, and brittle enough to splinter if you're not paying attention while machining it. The reward for pushing through all that: a lustrous red surface at the finishing stage that quartersawn pieces sometimes take even further, into genuinely iridescent territory.

Safety

Bloodwood dust has been linked to thirst, salivation, nausea, and skin irritation in some woodworkers — not a species to get casual with dust collection and a respirator on.

Typical Uses

Inlay, trim, carvings, furniture accents, guitars, and knife handles — almost always in small quantities where its color is the point.