Santos Mahogany

Santos Mahogany (Myroxylon balsamum) is a dense South American hardwood popular in premium flooring despite zero botanical relation to genuine mahogany (Swietenia) — the name is a marketing convention several unrelated tropical hardwoods share purely for landing in a similar reddish-brown color range.

Working Properties

Color runs all over the place board to board, from lighter golden brown to darker purplish red or burgundy, deepening further as it ages; quartersawn sections throw off attractive striped or ribbon figure. The wood itself doesn't make this easy — dense, interlocked grain gives it fair-to-poor working characteristics, cutting edges dull noticeably, and both staining and gluing take extra care, though the finished surface looks great. It also leaves a distinctive spicy scent in the air while you work it.

Typical Uses

Flooring (its dominant use), furniture, and cabinetry.