Exotic Woods Sampler

Today I will discuss some of my favorite and least favorite woods.
Let's start with the infamous Cocobolo.
Cocobolo is a beautiful wood from Africa. It is often streaked with an amazing array of colors ranging from black to white and many colors in between. Even hints of blue have been seen in the grain, which ranges from wide to narrow grain. I have a few reservations about this important wood. Cocobolo is hard to work with for many reasons. Firstly there is a high content of "oil" or other chemical that makes glue difficult to adhere to. Secondly, there have reports of people becoming ill from the saw dust. And third, Cocobolo is often harvested in a manner that is irresponsible and damaging to ecosystems and people. Unfortunately this third point can be made against many other exotic woods. Ebony, for example, is a beautiful black wood that takes many generations to reach maturity. In addition, the physical toll it takes to harvest the wood is not worth such exploitation of villagers (men, women, and children.)
While many other woods are not sustainably harvested or grown, it is difficult to be sure which ones to avoid. Try to buy your woods from reputable retail outlets that know the origins of their inventories. Avoid ordering lumber from jungle regions unless you have visited the place personally and met the workers. It is important that your small amount of wood that you use is not the cause of any exploitation, pollution or environmental damage.
This brings me to one of my favorites, Purpleheart. Purpleheart is a south American Hardwood that ranges from brown to purple. When selecting your lumber, look for uniform color throughout. And try to find wood that looks more purple and less brown. This is a fairly common wood that is used for building construction in many parts of South America, although it is heavy and expensive to export.
In a future installment of my blog I will share a chart with all of you. This is a chart listing many of the woods I use. Retail price, ease of workability, and other pros and cons are on the chart. You will find it very useful.
That's it for this week. Check in next time for a look at "must-have" tools for the beginner woodturner.

Tip Of The Week: Always look at wood before you buy it. It is the only way to know what you are buying.

Shout Out Of The Week: A special thanks to Heran Bago and Bagel Tech for your consultation and for all the great charity work you do. I am excited to be a part of your upcoming project!