Wood Species

Patagonian Rosewood (Curupay)

Anadenanthera colubrina

Janka hardness
2800 lbf
Specific gravity
0.9
Workability
Difficult given hardness; not a true rosewood
See Patagonian Rosewood (Curupay) with a finish on itPreview oils, poly, shellac and more on this species in the Finish Simulator — plus the sanding plan each one needs.
A board of Curupay (Patagonian Rosewood) -- pale-to-medium reddish-brown, streaked with irregular, interlocked darker figure.
A board of Curupay (Patagonian Rosewood) -- pale-to-medium reddish-brown, streaked with irregular, interlocked darker figure.

Patagonian Rosewood — also sold as Curupay or Cebil — comes from Anadenanthera colubrina, native to Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Brazil, and it's not closely related to true rosewoods in the Dalbergia genus no matter what the marketing implies. Reported hardness swings by source: this article's chart-derived 2,800 lbf is corroborated by several flooring retailers, though at least one source claims figures as high as 3,840 lbf — a gap wide enough that either number is best treated as approximate, not gospel.

Working Properties

However precisely you measure it, Patagonian Rosewood is genuinely hard to machine — budget for real tool wear on any project of size.

Typical Uses

Flooring, almost exclusively, plus some furniture and turned objects.

Images

A board of Curupay (Patagonian Rosewood) -- pale-to-medium reddish-brown, streaked with irregular, interlocked darker figure.

Raw Wood: A board of Curupay (Patagonian Rosewood) -- pale-to-medium reddish-brown, streaked with irregular, interlocked darker figure.