Santos Mahogany
Santos Mahogany is a trade name, not a botanical one — this wood is not related to true mahogany and shouldn't be expected to behave like it. What it is: a dense, fine-grained tropical hardwood with rich reddish-purple color, small movement, and good finishing properties. It's used extensively in flooring and works well in furniture where hardness and color depth are priorities. Harder than it looks — use carbide and pre-drill for fasteners. The pleasant balsam scent when freshly cut is a bonus.
- Expecting it to work like mahogany — the name is a trade term, not botanical
- Using HSS tooling — it's dense enough to require carbide
- Not pre-drilling fasteners — it will split without pilot holes
Reddish-brown to purplish-brown heartwood with irregular darker streaks. Not closely related to true mahogany despite the name. Color is quite dark and rich. Has a pleasant, faint balsam aroma when freshly cut.
Dense and hard, machines reasonably well with sharp carbide. Interlocked grain can cause tearout on some surfaces. Finishes very well — develops a handsome sheen. Widely used in flooring under the 'Santos Mahogany' name, which is entirely a trade name and has no botanical connection to true mahogany.
| Region | Availability |
|---|---|
| North America | Specialty importers only |
| Europe | Specialty importers only |
| South America | Regional / select dealers |
| Australia/NZ | Specialty importers only |
| Asia | Specialty importers only |
| Africa | Rare / not commonly imported |