Tigerwood is a boldly striped wood which has an orangish / reddish brown background with wide dark brownish black striping. It is a tight grained very durable wood. Tigerwood makes a unique and beautiful floor with striking contrast striping which tends to mellow with age.

BOTANICAL NAME:

ORIGIN:

South America – Mexico through Central America to Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay

COMMON NAMES:

Gonçalo-Alves, Aderno-Preto, Baracatiara, Gonçaleiro Maracatiara, Muiraquatiara, Sanguessugueira, Palo de cera, Palo de Culebra, Gusanero, Gateado, Guarita, Guasango

JANKA HARDNESS:

1850

DIMENSIONAL STABILITY:

Information currently unavailable.

RELATIVE ABUNDANCE:

Information currently unavailable.

INTERESTING FACTS:

Goncalo alves belongs to the Sumac and Cashew (Anacardiaceae) family, which includes some 600 species around the world. Relatives of the tree include the tropical cashew, pepper trees, mangoes and pistachio trees. Cotinus obovatus, or the smoke tree, grows in the United States and is also from the same family. Smoke trees, which are grown as ornamentals, are especially beautiful in autumn when their leaves turn.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

The heartwood of Tigerwood is pale pinkish brown to yellowish brown, becoming dark red after exposure to sun light, slightly distinct from the lighter sapwood. Figure with stripes of dark reddish brown to black. The grain is wavy or slightly interlocked, texture medium to fine, luster moderate,

COLOR CHANGE:

Tigerwood exhibits a large degree of color change with a pronounced darkening of the background under the stripes from an orangey tan to a deep reddish brown color, which then in turn makes the striping less contrasting and more subtle.

MAIN USES:

Primary uses are for fine furniture and flooring. However, Tigerwood is among the most outstanding heavy, durable construction timbers, also highly favored as a cabinet wood. Cut for decorative veneers. Tigerwood is used for specialty items such as knife handles, brush backs, archery bows, billiard cue butts, turnery, and carving.

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES:

Grain wavy or slightly interlocked, texture medium to fine, luster moderate, not distinctive odor and slightly bitter taste. Very durable, resistant to insects and dry-wood termites.

WORKING PROPERTIES:

Easy to sand and bore, very easy to turn and regular to plane. Bad finishing in planing, regular in sanding and excellent to turning and boring. Good to saw, peel into veneer, glue, screw and very good to turn. Previous boring is advisable for nailing. finishes well and gives a very lustrous surface.