Cocobolo

Cocobolo is yielded by two to four closely related species of the genus Dalbergia, of which the best known is Dalbergia retusa, this is probably the species contributing most of the wood in the trade.

Cocobolo is a tropical hardwood from Central America.  The heartwood is typically orange to  reddish-brown oor dk red to purpilish brn in color, often with a figuring of darker irregular traces weaving through the wood. By contrast, the sapwood is a creamy yellow, with a sharp boundary with the heartwood. The heartwood is known to change color after being cut, lending to its appeal.

Cocobolo is oily in look and feel, and stands up well to repeated handling and exposure to water: a common use is in gun grips and knife handles. It is very hard, fine textured and dense, but is easily machined, although due to the abundance of natural oils, the wood tends to clog abrasives and fine-toothed saw blades. Like other very hard, very dense tropical woods, Cocobolo can be brittle. Due to its density and hardness, even a large block of the cut wood will produce a clear musical tone if struck. Cocobolo can be polished to a lustrous, glassy finish. The high natural oil content of the wood makes it difficult to achieve a strong glue joint, and can inhibit the curing process of some varnishes.

Some people are alergic to the dust of this wood so take precautions when milling it.  Use dust mask and keep exposed skin to a minimum.

We stok this species in sizes that range from Pen blanks to moderate turning blocks as well as lumbeer in both 4/4 and 8/4