# How to Identify Brazilian Rosewood (Dalbergia nigra)



## RJL1417

.

Reactions: Way Cool 1


----------



## RJL1417

.


----------



## barry richardson

Check out @LemonadeJay he recently sent some stuff off somewhere to have it tested. Or Paul @phinds link to his wood ID site in his signature line


----------



## Treecycle Hardwoods

The University of Wisconsin is where he sent his samples. While the campus is only a few hours ride from me I don't have the address. He should be able to help with that. I am interested in techniques in the id without dna samples so I will be hanging on pauls' every word for this one.

Reactions: Agree 1


----------



## Fret440




----------



## Kevin

Robert we'll count this as your introduction. Welcome to the forum.


----------



## phinds

Robert,

If you go to my site (link in my signature), there's a link on the first page to an article on wood ID through wood anatomy ("Illustrated Wood Identification Article"). On the first page there's a link to the "growth rings" page and on that page at the bottom there's a link to the "diffuse porous" page on on that page there's a link to the rosewoods page. As you'll see there, the rosewoods do exhibit some variation in characteristics, but they are not always distinguishable from each other.

My single sample of Brazilian rosewood is not yet posted there but it is fairly distinct from most, but not all, of the rosewoods. I'm not sure I could distinguish it, based on end grain, from cocobolo or from Mexican kingwood, BUT given the end grain AND some face grain I might be able make a fairly strong ID one way or the other.

To get an adequate end grain shot is a lot of work and I'd have to have a sample at least 3"x6"x1/2" or larger to do a full evaluation. Better still would be a couple of different pieces that size or more that show some differences between them in the face grain.

For US citizens there's a free facility at the Dept of Agriculture that will ID wood, but they are massively backed up and would undoubtedly take 6 months or more to get to your piece (even assuming it was sent to them via a US citizen).

If you want to send me a sample, PM me and I'll get you my address. I've attempted IDs on probably 50 different woods sent to me over the years and I have to warn you that my success rate is respectable but nowhere near 100%. I'm not a wood scientist and don't have the kind of facilities (or knowledge) that the USDA has.

Paul

Reactions: Like 2


----------



## bench1holio

Robert, if youd like to send a sample down to me, id happily take a look at it also!


----------



## RJL1417

.


----------



## phinds

all but one of your photos is empty. Did you size them properly. I don't remember what the forum limit is these days, but maybe you make them too big and they were rejected.

What little I can tell from that one pic is still consistent with Brazrose.

hm ... I see now that the file sizes reported in the thread are quite reasonable and in fact one of them is smaller than the one pic that shows up, so I'm puzzled about your pics.

Weird. NOW I see that the pics ARE there, they just lost their thumbnails. Clearly a forum problem, not yours.

The additional pics are not really helpful in terms of figuring out what it is. The one pic that has the thumbnail is the best.

Weirder still ... NOW all the thumbnails have appeared.

There's probably magic involved here somewhere


----------



## barry richardson

Nice stash, when you cut the wood, does it have a sweet rose-like smell? that's a good first test.... Not sure about the lightening of the color, Brazillian RW guitars tend to darken over time, sorta like Cocobolo


----------



## El Guapo

Man that is a lot of BRW (if that's what it turns out to be). You even got a toe shot in there...


----------



## APBcustoms

Man I would love a a board or two with light color and some nice figure


----------

