Huanghuali

[Gonzalodqa]

A couple of days ago I got this sample in the mail from a trustworthy Chinese furniture restorer.

Huanghuali - Dalbergia odorifera T. Chen
The images were captured using a scanner and it looks a bit more saturated than it is in person (a bit less red)
The sample weights 147 g, and the size is 152 length, 78 wide, 14 - 12 thickness, which gives around 0,95 g/cm3 (The sample is dry but the exact moisture content is unknown)
The wood has a particular scent, not really a rosewood smell, but a particularly pleasant smell when you work with it.
I don't really have a history of the sample but it looked like it was part of a side panel where a small door hinge was attached.
I just wanted to share the sample and end grain (the sample was sanded to 240 grit to just show better the grain and color it will go through a better sanding process later when I have time)

 

[barry richardson]

Nice, looks kinda like Cocobolo....

 

[Gonzalodqa]

It is quite nice looking
Here are the cut offs form the sample showing the hinge holes and also difference in color between finished and unfinished wood (the left one is covered in mineral oil)

 

[Damienw]

Reviving an old thread, but out of curiosity, is there any wood you can think of with a comparable scent?
Is it more on the sweet side or one of those dustier spicier scented ones?

 

[daniscool]

Reviving an old thread, but out of curiosity, is there any wood you can think of with a comparable scent?
Is it more on the sweet side or one of those dustier spicier scented ones?

Asking @Big Ry @Friedrich9 @davisu or @daveflutes would likely be more productive as these four have been trading their pieces around recently. You could get quite a lot of info there.

 

[daveflutes]

Thanks for the ping. Here's a quick picture of mine:
The scent isn't typical rosewood, I find it much lighter and sweeter. That's without sanding or rubbing the wood. It's a very pleasant smell and I can't think of an obvious comparison. I can post an end grain photo later on

 

[Damienw]

Thanks for the ping. Here's a quick picture of mine:
The scent isn't typical rosewood, I find it much lighter and sweeter. That's without sanding or rubbing the wood. It's a very pleasant smell and I can't think of an obvious comparison. I can post an end grain photo later on

View attachment 286839

Thank you so much for the extra info and photos!
I wish there was more english literature about it, but the legendary status of it within asia makes it such an intriguing wood to learn about

 

[Big Ry]

Reviving an old thread, but out of curiosity, is there any wood you can think of with a comparable scent?
Is it more on the sweet side or one of those dustier spicier scented ones?

I didn't smell mine. I just wrapped it in plastic and put it on the rosewood shelf lol

D. Tonkinensis is supposedly indistinguishable from d. Odorifera, though i don't know if that necessarily means they have the same scent. Also, tonkinensis is equally rare, so it can't exactly act as a substitute for Odorifera.

 

[Damienw]

I didn't smell mine. I just wrapped it in plastic and put it on the rosewood shelf lol

D. Tonkinensis is supposedly indistinguishable from d. Odorifera, though i don't know if that necessarily means they have the same scent. Also, tonkinensis is equally rare, so it can't exactly act as a substitute for Odorifera.

Could i possibly ask you to give it a sniff test and report back the next time you're dealing with your rosewood shelf? I've got a decent handful of dalbergias so i'm curious if theres anything in my stash that's comparable to it ...at least going off descriptions haha

 

[Big Ry]

Could i possibly ask you to give it a sniff test and report back the next time you're dealing with your rosewood shelf? I've got a decent handful of dalbergias so i'm curious if theres anything in my stash that's comparable to it ...at least going off descriptions haha

Yeah i can try, though I'm probably not very descriptive in my explanation of scents lol. I generally can't link them to anything familiar, except for d. Nigra which smells like chocolate cherries to me. But i will try. I'm literally in bed about to go to sleep right now though, so hopefully tomorrow i can get to it

 

[daniscool]

I didn't smell mine. I just wrapped it in plastic and put it on the rosewood shelf lol

D. Tonkinensis is supposedly indistinguishable from d. Odorifera, though i don't know if that necessarily means they have the same scent. Also, tonkinensis is equally rare, so it can't exactly act as a substitute for Odorifera.

According to @davisu d. tonkinensis is so closely related to d. odorifera that they might as well be the same species.

 

[davisu]

According to @davisu d. tonkinensis is so closely related to d. odorifera that they might as well be the same species.

Correct...D. odorifera is on Hainan Island (approx. 150 miles from mainland Vietnam). Looking at the genetics, they are either the exact same species or a subspecies. The best analogy I can think of is D. granadillo to D. retusa. Microscopically, I cannot tell the difference between the two....mtDNA and normal, genomic DNA have high homology (similarity), which suggests that in my training, they are either the same, or "half-siblings".

 

[davisu]

Thanks for the ping. Here's a quick picture of mine:
The scent isn't typical rosewood, I find it much lighter and sweeter. That's without sanding or rubbing the wood. It's a very pleasant smell and I can't think of an obvious comparison. I can post an end grain photo later on

View attachment 286839

This!!! Huanghuali (D. odorifera). Huanghuali translates as "Fragrant pear wood" in Mandarin; it is a sweet, subtle smell. Not a typical spicy rosewood scent, more floral and sweet. Almost (to me) muted Honeysuckle.

 

[davisu]

It is quite nice looking
Here are the cut offs form the sample showing the hinge holes and also difference in color between finished and unfinished wood (the left one is covered in mineral oil)

View attachment 212666

View attachment 212667

This IS Huanghuali (D. odorifera or D. tonkinensis). However, it is contemporary. OLD HHL turns an amber, yellow flat color. So, my guess (from auction house work) is that this is ca. 1890s to 1950s. It still has too much striping to be that old. Really not an issue, though. The end grain is a 100% match. @Friedrich9 has large, higher-quality (solid) pieces if you are interested.

All the best!
Davis

 

[Big Ry]

Correct...D. odorifera is on Hainan Island (approx. 150 miles from mainland Vietnam). Looking at the genetics, they are either the exact same species or a subspecies. The best analogy I can think of is D. granadillo to D. retusa. Microscopically, I cannot tell the difference between the two....mtDNA and normal, genomic DNA have high homology (similarity), which suggests that in my training, they are either the same, or "half-siblings".

I had no idea that granadillo was so closely related to retusa. I thought granadillo more closely resembled cearensis personally.

 

[Friedrich9]

@Damienw i trimmed the end of one of my boards to get a good smell. It’s like a fruit tree flower smell. It honestly reminds me a bit of freshly cut pears also.

 

[Big Ry]

@Damienw i trimmed the end of one of my boards to get a good smell. It’s like a fruit tree flower smell. It honestly reminds me a bit of freshly cut pears also.

View attachment 286869

This from the same block you sold me?

 

[Friedrich9]

Like cherry blossoms or pear flowers maybe. This is coming from my nose that’s been a bit abused over the years working in a chemical factory

 

[Friedrich9]

This from the same block you sold me?

No, this is a different board.

 

[Friedrich9]

I cut it just now to get a sniff lol