Royal Mahogany (Andiroba)

Royal Mahogany is the flooring-trade name for andiroba (Carapa guianensis), a South American hardwood that's family to true mahogany without sharing its genus. Reported Janka hardness ranges fairly widely by source, from around 1,220 up to 1,570 lbf — this article settles on 1,400 as a reasonable midpoint.

Working Properties

Royal Mahogany wears a medium reddish-brown tone with subtle golden undertones, and grain that's usually straight and uniform with occasional interlocking thrown in for a bit of figure. It's noticeably harder than red oak, and machines with moderate effort under both hand and power tools.

Typical Uses

Flooring (its dominant use in the US market), furniture, and cabinetry.