A beautiful, dense hardwood with a lustrous appearance, Bubinga has a rose-colored background with darker purple striping. This wood is usually very uniform in graining and color, and the texture is fine and even.

BOTANICAL NAME: 

Guibourtia Coleosperma, Guibourtia Demeusei

ORIGIN: 

Ivory Coast, Africa, Gabon and Cameroons

COMMON NAMES: 

African Rosewood, Essingang, Buvenga, Kevazingo, Kewazingo, Ovang, Waka

JANKA HARDNESS:

1980

DIMENSIONAL STABILITY:

Average

RELATIVE ABUNDANCE: 

The World Conservation Monitoring Center lists Bubinga as "vulnerable to extinct" in Uganda, but lacks sufficient data to give more than an "unknown" status in Central African Republic, Gabon, Liberia, Nigeria, and Democratic Republic of Congo.

INTERESTING FACTS: 

The trees are reported to be large, often reaching heights of more than 100 feet and trunk diameters of 36 inches. Boles are usually well-formed and are 30 to 60 feet long.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: 

A beautiful, dense hardwood with a lustrous appearance, African Rosewood has a rose-colored background with darker purple striping. This wood is usually very uniform in graining and color, and the texture is fine and even. When quarter-sawn, the figure of Bubinga shows considerable "flame," while it exhibits attractive rosewood graining when flat-sawn. When fully aged, Bubinga has a rich burgundy red color.

COLOR CHANGE: 

African Rosewood undergoes a medium degree of color change, from a pinkish rose color when freshly milled to a burgundy red color when fully aged.

MAIN USES: 

Primarily used as a veneer for cabinetwork, flooring, furniture, and panelling. Also used for knife handles, and fancy goods.  Bubinga is also used for wood flooring and inlays wherever fine graining and a rich red color are desired.

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES:

Bubinga is a moderately durable wood. The sapwood is more permeable than the heartwood and so is less resistant to preservative treatment. It is resistant to termite attack.

WORKING PROPERTIES:

Relatively hard and dense, African Rosewood is difficult to work with hand tools because of its density and interlocked grain, but can be machined smoothly and takes a fine finish.