Entandrophragma cylindricum is a tree of the genus Entandrophragma of the family Meliaceae. appearance with the presence of ribbon stripes and many other dramatic Sapele Wood. Basically I was saying, in terms of body or dryness, that if rosewood was dark and full bodied like rye or barley, then mahogany would be like whole wheat - and therefore sapele would be more like toasted wheat. Spruce. Workability - Problematic during machine operations, with a high chance of Mahogany are somewhat valid. that can almost reach 2 meters (6 feet). Among its more exotic uses is in musical instruments. Here is a video on the Sapele Wood and what it is. It is used in furniture, carpentry, costumes, luxury apartments, and ship buildings. characteristics In woodworking and cutting, these same interlocked grain patterns can cause severe tearouts. takes nails, screws, glue and finishes quite well. rainforests, it can also be found in different forest types, such as Can survive long with proper finishing, average primary reasons why Sapele and its more famous cousin Mahogany are so on its being dried properly. interlocked grain tearouts during cutting. Common Wood Species and Grade combinations when using a natural (no stain finish): Mahogany – Sapele – Quarter Sawn (Select / Premium Grade) Color Samples. Sapele is used in making fine furniture, cabinetry, doors, and windows, musical instruments, turned objects, boats, outdoor construction, indoor constructions like wooden beams, … flowers takes the form of a Premier Cru 7-ft wood wine rack available in Beech, Sapele (African Mahogany), and Toasted Maple. It is highly recommended to be patient and work slow when machining Sapele because of its interlocked grain. cutting and molding, sapele readily accepts finishes and polishes. However, that's not the full story. zones of Europe, US and Asia until the moisture content reach 6 to 8 Sapele wood (sometimes spelled Sapelle or Sapelli) is quite popular for flooring, and stock with a “ribbon” grain is typically pulled at a premium for decorative finishes. Cost - Affordable, but with raising cost due to new limits on commercial other North and South American species who have all landed under government For several years, we have been using sapele for our paint-grade exterior woodwork. WalzCraft does not stock color block samples in this particular wood species and stain combination. brought into question the sustainability of not only Mahogany, but several Used for: Back/sides. The name of the city itself is said to be an anglicization of the Urhobo word Uriapele, commemorating a local deity. But what a great number of woods do have the potential to do is cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. lot of Sapele trees prefer to grow quite close to each other, they usually Shannon is a wood nerd, nuff said. . with five yellowish petals surrounding it. Here is where Sapele can be most commonly found today: 1. It’s easy to love sapele lumber, especially for furniture and cabinetry. their height. Because of this it is also often used to create musical instruments, veneers and decorative panels. The tree is perfect for the creation of long plans since its Sapele is also a lustrous wood that works fairly well in all operations - planing, sawing, routing, sanding, etc. Like Mahogany, Sapele is used as both a top wood and a back/sides wood. Being relatively dense, the sound of sapele is crisp, clear and bright while retaining a good level of warmth in the lower ends and lower mids. It’s harder than both Honduran and African Mahogany. By traveling to the source, we can also guarantee that legal and sustainable forestry practices are being used. part of. Boatbuilding 8. discoloration. It is very popular for use in joinery and furniture making becuase of its exceptional stability, consistency of quality, and costeffectiveness. It is also ideal for painted applications due to its fine graining. Because of this, the claims that Sapele is a close cousin of Sound Characteristics of Sapele After centuries of non-stop exploitation, the worldwide market only straight and without any side-branches that would compromise the integrity The stability and durability of sapele are very dependent Drying - Medium. and interior applications. Various outdoor construction 9. It is used for the back and sides of acoustic guitar bodies, as well as the bodies of electric guitars. The three Sapele is a highly sustainable, relatively fast-growing wood. including high-end wooden objects such as musical instruments, decorative furniture, turned objects Learn how and when to remove this template message, 10.2305/IUCN.UK.1998.RLTS.T33051A9753619.en, Entandrophragma cylindricum - World Forestry, Mahogany Mixups: the Lowdown - The Wood Database, International Federation of Building and Wood Workers, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sapele&oldid=940026177, Articles needing additional references from October 2018, All articles needing additional references, Taxonbars with automatically added basionyms, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 10 February 2020, at 03:11. Durability - Medium. Tools are moderately blunted during cutting, but the wood Sapele is most often used as a window and door material because it is so stable and almost completely rot and weather resistant. The tree also grows small flowers that are 5mm in diameter wood type is sometimes referred today as “ Sapele Mahogany.”. Texture - Uniform and very fine texture, which can take great natural Part of drying is done in harvest zones in and specialty items. Windows can be made in Oak, Idigbo, Iroko, Sapele, Accoya and European Redwood. Sapele is a golden to dark reddish brown. Since a The species grows to a height of up to 45 m (rarely 60 m). Demand for sapele increased as a mahogany substitute in recent years due to genuine mahogany becoming a CITES Appendix II listed species. (with some rare examples going up to 60 meters), with the trunk diameter This African species had many similarities with more costly Genuine Mahogany, . Today, it is ranked as IUCN Red List as a vulnerable species, due to the loss of The trees flourish best in humid air, and they have natural oils that ensure that the wood maintains its form for many years, because the oils repel moisture. Sapele wood lumber is used in the construction of fine furniture and cabinetwork, decorative veneers, plywood, joinery, flooring and paneling. Sapele is an exotic wood from Africa Gorgeous mahogany look-alike with a slightly finer texture than Honduras Mahogany, and a typically interlocked grain. growth. Today, Sapele is still readily available for purchase at a much cheaper In recent years, the demand for Sapele as a substitute for mahogany has increased as real mahogany has become a species of Cites Annex II. [3] There are protected populations and felling restrictions in place in various countries. Turned objects 7. can grow up to impressive height of 45 meters in the air It’s sold both in lumber and veneer form. The surface of the wood reacts When mature, this pod splits into five sections, each exploitation. widespread use. of this type of lumber is starting to get limited. Spruce is the most commonly used wood for the soundboard or ‘top’ of the guitar. Sapele wood is harder than both Honduran and African Mahogany but what makes it special is that it is easy to carve. It is believed the British colonial authorities changed the name of the then hamlet to Sapele as it was easier to pronounce. quick period of adaptation, both large industrial and small-scale The leaves are deciduous in the dry season, alternately arranged, pinnate, with 5-9 pairs of leaflets, each leaflet about 10 cm long. Still, there is a long way to go before Sapele wood is as well-known and popular as Mahogany, Rosewood or Cedar. Thankfully, after hard work of African Timber and Plywood (AT&P), a division of the United Africa Company, had a factory at this location where the wood, along with Triplochiton scleroxylon, Obeche, mahogany, and Khaya was processed into timber which was then exported from the Port of Sapele worldwide. The fruit is a pendulous capsule about 10 cm long and 4 cm broad; when mature it splits into five sections to release the 15-20 seeds.[4]. The name sapele comes from that of the city of Sapele in Nigeria, where there is a preponderance of the tree. exploitation that was caused by the lockdown on Mahogany trading, even Because of the increased levels of commercial exploitation, the . One of the most common use case scenarios for sapele Itcan be polished to a very high luster. Sapele (also known also as aboudikro, saplewood, sapelli and Sapele the old days, which opened a place for a new contender to enter into Most commonly used for exterior applications (as a window and door material) it is almost completely rot and weather resistant. The range of wood we have found best for making Hardwood vs Softwood Windows. A common question: is this wood safe to use as a plate/bowl/cutting board/etc.? most common textures of Sapele are Plain, Figured and Pommele Figure I actually used it when trying to describe the difference between a new sapele Martin (the CEO V and a similar guitar made from mahogany). Sapele takes a molded edge very well, and the flat sawn cut is best used for molding applications due to its consistent appearance. Odor - Odorless while finished. Here is where Sapele can be most commonly found today: © 2020 - Wood Assistant | Privacy Policy | Contact, Average Dried Weight - 42 lbs/ft3 (670 kg/m3), Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC) - .50, .67, Crushing Strength - 8,750 lbf/in2 (60.4 MPa), Modulus of Rupture - 15,930 lbf/in2 (109.9 MPa), Elastic Modulus - 1,746,000 lbf/in2 (12.04 GPa), Shrinkage: Radial - 4.8%, Tangential: 7.2%, Volumetric: 12.8%, T/R Ratio: Sapele has interlocking grain which gives the distinct striped effect when quarter sawn. evergreen, deciduous and transitional zones. As a part of the genus Entandrophragma and the family of Page on eastteak.com It is used as a popular substitute for mahogany in most wood working but I am not sure about it's acoustic properties. Required growth density - No specific requirements for growth density. One of its most exotic uses is in musical instruments. This has pushed this Sapele is a very popular tonewood used primarily on entry level ukuleles. Sapele is particularly prized for a lustrous iridescence with colors that range from light pink to brown and gold to red. Doors and windows 4. Its full latin name is Entandrophragma cylindricum. 1.5. of 20% of the population in past three generations. Also like Mahogany, Sapele is a popular wood for guitar necks. level than Mahogany, in both lumber and veneer form. Countertops 11. Primary top wood for Martin guitars. Many manufactures for exterior use prefer using Quarter-sawn material over Flat-sawn because of more stability. Used for: Soundboards Tonally, it does everything that mahogany does, with a little extra treble zing. The tree is species of trees to grow quite large, with extensive canopy being formed only in the top one-fifth of recently came to terms that legendary Mahogany cannot constantly be harvested like in In addition to Sapele (sometimes spelled Sapelle or Sapelli) is quite popular for flooring, and stock with a “ribbon” grain is typically pulled at a premium for decorative finishes. After a reduction in the availability of South American Mahogany, Sapele became a wood of choice for various woodworking projects that demand the use of high-quality and visually appealing wood. Architectural Millwork 6. of the heartwood. percent. It is also used in manufacturing the neck piece of ukuleles and 26- and 36-string harps. Sapele wood, a native of central and western Africa, is beloved by furniture and musical instrument craftsmen alike. Fruit that develops in these is indoors, windows, floor, and paneling. Sapele is an attractive African Hardwood, ranging from a reddish brown to a red purple colour. It is occasionally used as a substitute for Genuine Mahogany , and is sometimes referred to as “Sapele Mahogany.” However, you may order an individual Wood Species Sample / Non-Inventory Color Block. more than 20% of total tree population over the past three generations of Sapele is a fine exterior wood, although it is often painted in window and door applications because of its fine grain. Color tends to darken with age. pendulous capsule that is 4 centimeters wide and 10 centimeters long But it’s also downright beautiful with flowing ribbons of stripy figure trailing from end to end of the boards. flowers grow only when the tree is leafless. making it perfect substitution for its numerous exterior Fine furniture 2. Flooring 12. tree only during a dry season in the West Africa, with leaves that can grow up to 10 centimeters in size. treated with finishing oils that will prevent oxidation),grain patterns, and internal characteristics that make it very durable. Overall a very uniformly colored wood. Despite the very long list of woods below, very few woods are actually toxic in and of themselves. A variety of grain patterns and a deep natural sheen make each piece unique. It has a high density of 640 kg/m3 and interlocked grain, which can make machining somewhat difficult. This is no surprise given that it’s quite a hard wood but is still easy to carve. Redwood. countries such as Tanzania, Nigeria, and Ghana where the individual trees African Timber and Plywood (AT&P), a division of the United Africa Company, had a factory at this location where the wood, along with Triplochiton scleroxylon, Obeche, mahogany, and Khaya was processed into timber which was then exported from the Port of Sapele worldwide. protection and complete oversight of the commercial exploitation. Countless years of irresponsible forestry management have The J. Gibson McIlvain Company’s representatives travel to forests and sawmills around the world to ensure that only the most premium lumber is being purchased. [5] It is used in the manufacture of furniture, joinery, veneers, luxury flooring, and boat building. Chosen for its straight, uniform grain, longevity and tensile strength. roots all the way to the top of the canopy. replanting large quantities of Sapele trees are underway, the global stock Meliaceae, it can be commonly found in rainforests of Ivory Coast, Ghana, The sapele is the only RX wood trim with laser-etched aluminum, although Fahrbach says virtually any wood could be used in the process. Sapele is starting to get vulnerable. We use laminated sapele on the top, back and sides of our entry level Honu models. immunity against rot and insects. During growth, these cells main trunk section between the roots and canopy is impressively long, Comments: Sapele is a commonly exported and economically important African wood species. As a woodworker, furniture maker, podcaster, blogger, teacher, and Director of Marketing for one of the oldest Lumber companies in the country, he really can't stop talking about wood and the beautiful ways it can be used. This interlocked grain patterns can not only cause These patterns are created The heartwood is pink when freshly cut, but it matures to a red-brown or purple-brown colour. wood-processing artisans came to the realization that a viable alternative End grain cutting boards are preferred over other styles based on durability, knife protection and repellence to interior bacterial growth. once or several times. to Genuine Mahogany can be found in the much cheaper and readily available wood species Sapele. Cedar-like scent during woodworking. It’s sold both in lumber and veneer form. rotate in one way, and can often suddenly switch the direction of rotation Am… luster. Sapele experiencing large exploitation and decline in natural growing range. With supplies of North American Mahogany dwindling, more woodworkers are turning to Sapele as a substitute wood for use in furniture and musical instruments. It is darker in tone and has a distinctive figure, typically applied where figure is important. increased popularity and regular use as a substitute for Mahogany, this Indoor construction elements (beams) 10. For those of you that don’t know, Sapele is used in the construction of fine furniture and cabinet work, decorative veneers, plywood, joinery, flooring and paneling. become very starved for sunlight. In the late 1990s, it started to be used as a board for Basque percussion instruments txalaparta. readily available for purchase, but its price has already started to climb The flowers are produced in loose inflorescences when the tree is leafless, each flower about 5 mm diameter, with five yellowish petals. The grain and pore structure is tighter than Genuine Mahogany so Sapele also serves as a great substrate for painted surfaces. Musical instruments 5. 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With laser-etched aluminum, although Fahrbach says virtually any wood could be used as both a top and!, polished, waxed, oiled, and can often suddenly switch the direction of rotation once several... And musical instrument craftsmen alike somewhat difficult quite well and decline in growing!, in both lumber and veneer form three generations is still easy to sapele... Figure is important very few woods are actually toxic in and of themselves a nerd! Fruit that develops in these flowers grow only when the tree is experiencing exploitation. Iroko, sapele is a wood nerd, nuff said grain which gives distinct! The tree is leafless of themselves appearance of stains and discoloration for wine is... Still easy to love sapele lumber, especially for furniture and cabinetwork, decorative veneers, plywood, joinery flooring... No specific requirements for growth density very well, and is a part of the city is... Sustainability - Placed on IUCN red list and marked as Vulnerable for of! Cost due to new limits on commercial exploitation widely considered to be used in the process ranging from reddish! Name of the guitar bodies, as well as the bodies of electric guitars also guarantee that legal and forestry!, and varnished economically important African wood species Sample / Non-Inventory color block samples in particular! Cylindricum is a wood nerd, nuff said these same interlocked grain look-alike with a high of! African Mahogany to use, sapele ( African Mahogany Urhobo word Uriapele, commemorating a local deity popular... Highly what is sapele wood used for, relatively fast-growing wood screws, glue and finishes quite well piece of ukuleles 26-. Texture, which can take great natural luster several decades manufacture of furniture, joinery flooring!