# Cuban Mahogany



## bhatleberg (Aug 4, 2017)

I recently had a friend drop off a board while cleaning out his stash. He said he's had it for a long time, and the guy who gave it to him said it was Cuban mahogany.

I did a little poking around online. Looks like Cuban mahogany is a Luthier thing. I don't want to waste good material on a non instrument project, but I don't build instruments. So I was going to look for a trade. Then, I thought I should make sure I'm not misleading anyone.

Pics attached, sanded to 320. Any sense if it'd the real deal?


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## Lou Currier (Aug 4, 2017)

Check out the site "the hobbit house" you can compare what you have with the samples there.


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## phinds (Aug 5, 2017)

Cuban Manogany (Swietenia mahagani) cannot be distinguished from Honduran mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) outside of a well equipped wood science lab, so you'll likely never know for sure which one you have.

From what I can see of the end grain in your pieces, it's possible that this isn't a Swietenia at all rather an African mahogany or even either sipo or sapele. Can you get any better shot of the end grain? Or, go to my site and carefully compare the end grain to what's there. If there are very distinct and unbroken marginal parenchyma lines it's likely a Swietenia. If there are lots and lots of seemingly marginal parenchyma lines, it's likely sipo or sapele. If there are broken marginal parenchyma lines (that fade in and out) it's likely a Khaya. From what I can see it's probably either a Swietenia or sipo/sapele, most likely Swietenia but I can't be sure.


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## barry richardson (Aug 5, 2017)

Looks in appearance like the Cuban Mahogany I have. Haven't heard of it being used by luthiers, probably casue it is not commercially available. Stripped from the Caribbean Islands long ago for fine furniture in Europe and The US, not a viable commercial timber now, and import is restricted anyhow. The only place I ever hear of it on the market is from old hoards, like yours, or stuff milled from urban trees in South Florida... There are a lot of boutique luthiers now that use all kinds of unconventional woods though, they may indeed be interested in it....


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## phinds (Aug 5, 2017)

I have a short article on the mahoganies here:
www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/_discussion_mahogany.htm


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## bhatleberg (Aug 5, 2017)

Thanks very much for the info. I actually read through Hobbit House (what a resource!) before posting, but I missed the summary article. Thanks for pointing it out and for the replies - I am always impressed by the knowledge base on here.

I took a few botany classes back in college, and I am usually okay with technical detail. But man, this talk of marginal parenchyma is ahead of me. I am not the best at seeing distinctions, I guess. Yet.

I think I will call it close enough and just tell the story - whoever gets the board can decide what they want to call it. There is a place around here that trains people in violin and guitar making, and I will wander over there next week to donate or trade for some nice luthier cutoffs...


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## phinds (Aug 5, 2017)

bhatleberg said:


> ... this talk of marginal parenchyma is ahead of me


 That's what this is for:

https://woodbarter.com/threads/wood-anatomy-an-introduction.18349/


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