Are there any tell tale signs to tell the difference between Honduran and African Mahogany?Besides felling kinda stupid to ask, I would like to learn how to tell the difference on my own.Also when it comes to buying mahogany plywood,can you buy it in either variety or is one more predominent than the other?
Edited 9/12/2006 12:45 am ET by autodave
Replies
Hi Dave,
Don't feel bad, a lot of people don't know the difference between the various varieties of Mahogany and all the substitute species on the market these days. And depending on the circumstances it might not matter all to much unless your goal is to produce accurate reproductions of 18th century furniture.
The first difference is the price. The African varieties and the substitute varieties are much less expensive than Honduras mahogany because they are more abundant. Honduras Mahogany is not being harvested on a large scale, and therefore what is available is expensive.
Another difference is color. African Mahogany has a more yellowish-orange tint than Honduras. However, you can use stains and dyes to overcome the difference in color.
Check out this great article on Mahogany. It discusses all the attributes of the authentic stuff and all the look alikes.
Matt Berger
Fine Woodworking
Thanks for your help,I'm new to woodworking and Finewoodworking.com but have found that your help and articles are awesome!
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