# Wood ID



## dehn0045 (Jul 30, 2018)

I found these blocks for sale on the interweb, $35 for both. They are roughly 7"x5"x4". All I have to go off is the pic, they are being sold as decorations (used, I suspect it is a 'garage sale' type thing). I'm thinking possibly some sort of rosewood. What's your best guess?


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## Tony (Jul 30, 2018)

Just a rookie guess from me but I would go rosewood as well. Whatever it is I think it's worth what you paid for it!

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## phinds (Jul 30, 2018)

Looks a lot like an old log of Brazilian rosewood that Mark Peet had, which you can see pictures of on my web site for comparison.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## dehn0045 (Jul 30, 2018)

Thanks Tony and Paul. I don't have the blocks in hand yet, but God willing should have them this weekend. Definitely looks a lot like that block from Mark Peet, hell of a memory you have Paul. Thanks again guys

Reactions: Like 1


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## dehn0045 (Aug 5, 2018)

Now that I have the blocks in hand, I am now thinking desert ironwood. My reasoning being the wood is extremely hard and heavy, the cracking looks a lot like the cracking that I have seen with DIW, and in person the red/purple colors are completely absent (just light and dark browns). Probably worth the $30 I paid, but when you factor in gas/tolls/time I think I lost money on this "treasure". Oh well, maybe next time...


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## phinds (Aug 5, 2018)

dehn0045 said:


> Now that I have the blocks in hand, I am now thinking desert ironwood. My reasoning being the wood is extremely hard and heavy, the cracking looks a lot like the cracking that I have seen with DIW, and in person the red/purple colors are completely absent (just light and dark browns). Probably worth the $30 I paid, but when you factor in gas/tolls/time I think I lost money on this "treasure". Oh well, maybe next time...


Can you do a shot of a cleaned up end grain?

Desert Ironwood and Brazilian rosewood have clearly distinct anatomy

Reactions: Agree 1


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## barry richardson (Aug 5, 2018)

Sand a corner of one, if it smells roses it's rosewood, if it smells like a dead animal, it's DIW

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Funny 1


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## phinds (Aug 5, 2018)

barry richardson said:


> Sand a corner of one, if it smells roses it's rosewood, if it smells like a dead animal, it's DIW


Cool. That's a lot easier than fully cleaning up an end grain area and taking a pic.


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## dehn0045 (Aug 5, 2018)

Based on Barry's nose test, definitely DIW. I had already taken a pic (not great, but as good as I could get, long side is about 2")

 , but I think it's settled...

Reactions: Like 1


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## Arn213 (Aug 5, 2018)

My take on genuine rosewood from Rio- it has a cross between smell of either roses/bubble gum (baseball cards)/chocolate. Salvaged Rio rosewood has a spicy-sweet smell. Indian rosewood smells pungent (sharp end)- nowhere that it smells like roses. Desert ironwood to me smell like cat unrine. That end grain you posted does not look like anything remotely close that I milled in miscellaneous rosewoods- looks closer to Madagascar (Dalbergia baroni), but yours has no presence of micro pores.

Reactions: Like 1


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## phinds (Aug 5, 2018)

Yep, that anatomy is DI, not rosewood

Reactions: Like 1


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## dehn0045 (Aug 5, 2018)

Thanks again guys. I didn't realize how foul desert ironwood smelled, its nasty. A good reminder to use all of our tools available for our Wood ID adventures.

Arnold, thanks for your input. I researched Madagascar Rosewood, like the rest of dalbergia its a pretty looking wood. Found some blanks of Bois de Rose (which I gather is closely related and also from Madagascar), but man that stuff is pricey. Maybe my next yard sale find will be some of that stuff ;)


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## Arn213 (Aug 5, 2018)

dehn0045 said:


> Thanks again guys. I didn't realize how foul desert ironwood smelled, its nasty. A good reminder to use all of our tools available for our Wood ID adventures.
> 
> Arnold, thanks for your input. I researched Madagascar Rosewood, like the rest of dalbergia its a pretty looking wood. Found some blanks of Bois de Rose (which I gather is closely related and also from Madagascar), but man that stuff is pricey. Maybe my next yard sale find will be some of that stuff ;)



Dalbergia maritima has unusual and interesting red-violet color when cut. Yes, it does come from Madagascar. The difference I found is that Dalbergia baroni is much denser compare to Dalbergia maritima. Dalbergia baroni has a visual fine surface texture (not talking about color way more like how the grain make up threads into the surface) like wenge and has that same crispness. Dalbergia maritima in the other hand has more of smooth surface without that medium surface texture and less dense- the best I can describe it is that it resembles Indian rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia) as far as density and “hand”, but not monotone (Boise de rose has that extra red violet heartwood) and it does not have that sharp pungent smell that Indian rosewood has.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Arn213 (Aug 7, 2018)

@dehn0045 ........with all the description I was blabbing out, I think I owe you a photo. I am attaching a photo so you can see the difference between Dalbergia baroni/Madagascar rosewood (left side that is chocolate in color) and Dalbergia Maritima/Boise de Rose (right side, red-violet). Both are flat sawn cut.

Reactions: Like 1


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## dehn0045 (Aug 7, 2018)

Thanks Arnold, the photo really helps to tell the story. One thing that I really enjoy about wood is that there is so much to learn. I appreciate you taking the time to share this with me!


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## Arn213 (Aug 7, 2018)

dehn0045 said:


> Thanks Arnold, the photo really helps to tell the story. One thing that I really enjoy about wood is that there is so much to learn. I appreciate you taking the time to share this with me!



Sam, no problem. This community is great because there is a wealth of information here, we get to share info. about wood, get to see the incredible and talented crafts that people do here, see how each other is doing and then have laugh about it along the way. 

By the way, the d. Baroni sample- that is probably the most popular heartwood colorway (in parallel to what people are use to seeing in chocolate Brazilian rosewood in guitar making), though it comes in a rainbow of heartwood coloration and sometimes variegated. The Boise de rose, that red-violet is the dominant colorway for the heartwood.

Reactions: Like 1


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## phinds (Aug 7, 2018)

Arn213 said:


> @dehn0045 ........with all the description I was blabbing out, I think I owe you a photo. I am attaching a photo so you can see the difference between Dalbergia baroni/Madagascar rosewood (left side that is chocolate in color) and Dalbergia Maritima/Boise de Rose (right side, red-violet). Both are flat sawn cut.


Thanks for the pics. They are consistent w/ what's on my site. I have them both on the "rosewood, madagascar" page because there are at least 2 dozen species from a dozen genera that have bois de rose as all or part of one or more of their common names, and since the term simply means "wood that is red", I don't find it very helpful. I have a page for "bois de rose" but my samples are not on it. I have Dalbergia baroni (which is one of those 2 dozen plus species) as just Madagascar rosewood and Dalbergia Maritima (which is another one) as Madagascar violetwood.


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## Palaswood (Aug 8, 2018)

great thread. I love me some ROSeWOOD!!!

Here is a wedged tenon Mallet in Burmese Rosewood and Honduran Rosewood (handle), just because I'm proud of it and it smelled great while making it.

"http://lumberjocks.com/projects/387793"

Reactions: EyeCandy! 2


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## phinds (Aug 8, 2018)

Wow. I'd want to put that on the shelf and never actually hit anything with it


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## dehn0045 (Aug 8, 2018)

I like the decorative through tenon, very nice. The wood is obviously spectacular!


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## Arn213 (Aug 8, 2018)

...........that is simply gorgeous. I wouldn’t want to strike something with that as well. But, I consider that a work of “functional art”.

What does Burmese rosewood smells like exactly? I am very familiar with Honduran rosewood as I have processed a great deal amount of it as it smells like you are in an apple orchard- reminds me when I was young going apple picking with my family in Upstate New York.


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## Palaswood (Aug 8, 2018)

Arn213 said:


> ...........that is simply gorgeous. I wouldn’t want to strike something with that as well. But, I consider that a work of “functional art”.
> 
> What does Burmese rosewood smells like exactly? I am very familiar with Honduran rosewood as I have processed a great deal amount of it as it smells like you are in an apple orchard- reminds me when I was young going apple picking with my family in Upstate New York.



Thank you! That bois de rose is gorgeous, btw.

Burmese Rosewood has that sweet and spicy rosewood scent but it leans toward the spicy.
I believe it or the Honduran sensitized me and I have been getting bad allergies all spring where I never had before, so be cautious.

I used all hand tools and such did not wear much breathing protection. In hindsight, I would have at least had my fans blowing out the door.

Yes the wedges are Ebony (Diospyros crassiflora), and the piece was made without glue. Just the 2 wedges to hold the mallet head in place, and those can be knocked out.

It's super hard, Burmese roswood, with a Janka of 2700! So it can take the abuse a mallet will take, and dish it out!

Reactions: Like 2


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