[Woodcarver] mahogany

[Victor Hamburger]

Kmann1963 at aol.com wrote:

> i have found a very light and creamy color wood that has grain like mahogany.
> is there such thing as a white or light mahogany? thanks
> 
There are about 300 wood species in the world that are generically called
mahogany.  Depending on locale and growing conditions, they are closely related
in some cases, and in other cases are only distantly related, if at all.  You
need to identify where the wood comes from and look at a number of identifying
indicators to really understand what you have.  

So, is there a light mahogany, or white mahogany? I don't know specifically, but
stuff like Luan, available in dimension lumber at some home centers is classed
as mahogany and I wouldn't use it to start my woodstove.  On the other extreme,
there are mahoganys from the carribean, including Cuban, Santo Domingo, and
other islands that are mostly extinct or restricted in cutting now, that are
magnificant hardwoods that I wouldn't feel worthy to put a knife to!  I have
some phillipine mahogany, often sold as patternmakers grade mahogany, that is
tight grained and dark red, a wonderful wood to carve.  

If your white or light mahogany can be identified, then you will know more about
it's carving characteristics.  I believe the extension service of the University
of Wisconsin or one of the other state universities out that way offers a
service to identify wood for a reasonable price.  They need a small sample of
the wood presumably, as you can't identify wood by words alone.  

Best,	Vic H