Highly Stable Lumber Sapele wood is of medium hardness with a Janka rating of 1510 lbs making is harder than most domestic North American Species and almost twice as hard as Genuine Mahogany. Additionally Sapele grows with an interlocking grain pattern where the fibers twist around the tree as they grow. While the grain pattern is still moving in the same direction, the interlocking pattern acts to cancel out a lot of movementthat is typically found across the grain. This hardness and medium density as well as propensity for straight grained boles (central trunk of the tree) makes Sapele wood very stable and thus predictable from themoment it is felled to when it is pulled from a drying kiln. This lumber travels a long distance and much can happen to the wood from shipping damage to climate change induced movement. The natural superior stability means that there is much less waste over this journey as well as reliability once the wood is installed in it’s final project. Heartwood is a medium to dark reddish brown or purplish brown. Color tends to darken with age. Besides the common ribbon pattern seen on quartersawn boards, Sapele is also known for a wide variety of other figured grain patterns, such as: pommele, quilted, mottled, wavy, beeswing, and fiddleback. Grain is interlocked, and sometimes wavy. Fine uniform texture and good natural luster. Diffuse-porous; large pores in no specific arrangement, few; solitary and radial multiples of 2-3; reddish brown deposits occasionally present; parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates, unilateral, and marginal; rays narrow to medium, spacing normal; ripple marks present. Heartwood ranges from moderately durable to very durable in regard to decay resistance. Sapele is susceptible to insect attack. Sapele can be troublesome to work in some machining operations, (i.e., planing, routing, etc.), resulting in tearout due to its interlocked grain. It will also react when put into direct contact with iron, becoming discolored and stained. Sapele has a slight blunting effect on cutters, but it turns, glues, and finishes well. Sapele has a distinct, cedar-like scent while being worked. Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, Sapele has been reported as a skin and respiratory irritant. See the articles and for more information. Should be moderately priced for regular plainsawn or quartersawn lumber, though figured lumber and veneer can be extremely expensive, particularly pommele or quilted Sapele. This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices, but is on the IUCN Red List. It is listed as vulnerable due to a population reduction of over 20% in the past three generations, caused by a decline in its natural range, and exploitation. Veneer, plywood, furniture, cabinetry, flooring, boatbuilding, musical instruments, turned objects, and other small wooden specialty items. Sapele is a commonly exported and economically important African wood species. It’s sold both in lumber and veneer form. It is occasionally used as a substitute for , and is sometimes referred to as “Sapele Mahogany.” Technically, the two genera that are commonly associated with mahogany are and , while Sapele is in the Entandrophragma genus, but all three are included in the broader Meliaceae family, so comparisons to true mahogany may not be too far fetched.

• published: 17 Dec 2014
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