The ONE Difference Between MAHOGANY Lumbers

If you're a woodworker, chances are you've see more than one kind of "mahogany." Did you feel cheated? Misled? Confused? Well, we've got some news for you.
Mahogany is a gorgeous wood, even if there are several types that just confuse the matter. Give this video a spin -- we'll break down the myths about mahogany, and tell you which one is the real thing AND WHY it's the real thing. More importantly, we'll help you make a better choice when planning your woodworking projects.
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#woodworking
#mahogany
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[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Let's hear it for mahogany! *BOOM* 🔥🔥🔥 Who can say "disappointingly pale" 5 times fast, huh? _Fact check: __3:50__ - __4:41__ we misspelled "Khaya"_

[@nabilmakarem8343]

Great and easy to follow info, thanks!

[@heathowens8581]

The author does like to from scratch, kzbin.infoUgkxbnOKZBE4evMO5V2vroHeCjq6d_MV6wJO shaping and trimming wood from large blocks into fine finished products. As another reviewer mentioned, most projects require a lot of high-dollar equipment that most of us don’t have the room or budget for. But, knowing how to do these things, even if we won’t be able to practise the full stack project, is still great.

[@jimwessel8523]

Dude, you're awesome. As a beginner at woodworking, your descriptive videos for the various hardwood is incomparable. Thanks and keep it up.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Excellent, just happy to help 👍

[@markyour6998]

You answered questions about mahogany I didn't know I had! This was a fantastic video! Keep them coming!

[@trijfkelly]

Mark...Really love these videos. So much good information about the different types of wood and how to work with them best. Please keep them coming. Thank you!!

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

You're too kind, thanks. So glad you enjoy them. 💥

[@fusion-music]

Fantastic for a supplier to make such informative, educational, well presented & edited videos. Top marks 100 out of 100

[@gritgracerestoration6167]

Great & informative video! A lot of info packed in and explained in a very fast and easy to understand way. Looking forward to watching more of your videos. Kudos to the editor, loved it!

[@mikepaull8129]

My father was a pattern maker for a large motor manufacturer for 30 years and was a lifetime woodworker. For him, there was only one wood, GENUINE Mahogany.

[@759NPR]

Thanks, Mark, for a great clip defining the many characteristics of mahogany and their uses. I've been a cabinet maker/woodworker for nearly 30 years and have experienced the merits of each you've mentioned. In the 19th century Victorian era, mahogany was used in high end interior and exterior millwork in residential applications - in lue of heart pine. Even back then they painted (exterior) mahogany millwork and it's endured. In fact, some of the shipping companies employed their sailors as craftsman in the northeast's New England states during the fishing off season, building a number of the stately homesteads still standing throughout that region today. Mahogany was their finish wood of choice for the elite/affluent customers because it was a) a status symbol for its beauty & origin & b) back then plentiful, although expensive. I typically use mahogany as paint-grade replacement for window/exterior door components for longevity & serviceability, because of its inherent characteristics; yeap, it's much more expensive than the go to/preferred pressure treated (yellow pine) repairs - which over time will fail and seems typical w/my contemporaries now days. Although I have yet in all those years to have a call back for repairs done w/mahogany. The key there is using the right primer as most of the species have an inherent oil that won't allow a bond w/paints, then (2) top quality top coats. The comical thing to me is fellas typically use yellow pine (pressure treated) today for exterior door jamb or window sill repairs, but the osmosis treatment of the wood (saturation) won't allow for paint to bond adequately for months out. Yellow pine always shrinks and checks after the osmosis process, by nature, and the paint won't bond to it long term when it's still green/wet - even if you start w/a "dry" piece of y.p., it's not holding up, at least not in the long run. I've used sapele extensively with exterior projects, "NOT painted btw...", mainly for its longevity and wearability with use, exposure to the elements, as well as its inherent beauty. It holds up wonderfully stained/oiled like teak, as patio furniture, beautiful gates, and garden architecture, but especially as an entry door to a home. It makes a majestic entrance when stained, then sealed with a durable exterior clear top coat. The key is how its maintained, with respect to moisture and uv rays with a quality finish top coat applied. It does weather quite well - if the homeowner is vigilant. Care must be taken to maintain its beauty - as does any exterior millwork, due to harsh exposure w/the elements. As an aside, I believe it's the heaviest of those mentioned - and by far the most brutal on all your cutting edges; jointer, planer, and shaper knives, router bits, as well as your saw blades and scrapers. I promise it doesn't sand like pine either...Although when it's finish sanded off properly, and a durable top coat of finish(s) is applied, it's drop-dead-gorgeous, especially with entry doors. Just be sure to use heavy jamb material (not finger joint pine...)AND, heavy duty hinges - large ones w/(ball bearings) at that... I enjoy an occasional re-run on the silver screen, not so much w/an irate customer.

[@corygira9645]

I like your level of detail and style of delivery in your videos. It's very educational for me!

[@louconova7457]

Fantastic! Appreciate you taking up this topic on mahogany with your encyclopedic knowledge of woods and plywood's. I feel like I'm in the shop and you're teaching a class. Keep up the good work!

[@zoehigel4548]

Mark, you are awesome! So look forward to these videos, you are helping this newbie so much!

[@larryk6330]

Great info. I've been using sapele for many years now and it's great to work with. Made a headboard, nightstand and shelf for a bedroom set with it and it came out great! Keep the videos coming!

[@jlh5995]

Mark, thanks for the explanation regarding the differences between "mahogany" woods and the demonstration on finishing the different woods. I'm going to attempt a cabinet made from sapele and I really appreciate the time and effort you put in making this video.

[@chadallenfit5030]

In the process of starting a woodworking shop and besides the box box stores and cedar, not familiar with the different woods. I really appreciate these videos. They are excellently done, the guys comical and easy to understand. Thank you. Any advice is appreciated.

[@dianes4858]

Love all the info. Not boring at all. I’m trying to ID the wood on a cabinet I’m restoring so all information is helpful. Thanks so much!

[@herbkempf9939]

Great video. Very informative. I like how show the differences between the finishes. Keep them coming. Thank you.

[@JonathanFreemanRocks]

You killed it man. Thank you for putting this video together. I have a couple board feet chunk of African mahogany I picked up at a sale and didn’t know it’s qualities until your video. Killer production too!

[@396fab]

Ya'alls need to open an outlet in southwest Atlanta. Please. Thanks. :-) Great video! Appreciate you sharing the knowledge, very interesting.

[@MichaelIreland]

Hey Mark, great job on the video. As a complete wood nerd, I really appreciate when you "get into the weeds" about this stuff. In fact, from what I understand, the KZbin algorithm prefers videos right around the 10 minute mark, so in a way this was a bit on the short side, haha! I've been a weekend-warrior woodworker for almost 2 decades now, and I've used a lot of exotic materials for all sorts of small hobby-scale projects, but I've never used Mahogany. Partly because it's so expensive these days. The next time I see a sale on Sapele at my local supplier, though, you can be sure I'll pick some up. There are tons of great resources on the Internets about the source of different wood species, but none of those give us the visceral connection to the material that your videos do, so keep it up. The more I watch, the more I feel like I'm almost qualified to use them! PS: You should add a point about rarity, protected species status, and toxicity - sometimes these points explain a wood's availability.

[@joestehle3646]

Thank You!! I started making wood furniture as a hobby mostly during covid lockdown to keep my sanity.... progressed to now from shelf-2-trunk-2-Dresser-2-a kiten cabiner -2-a bar with (mock) stained glass doors..... and no eager to venture into new woods.... purple heart, mohagony, walnut to create some pieces..... and this clip surpassed my expectations as far as an intro into Mahogany..... btw, just bookmarked your website after also seeing stuff on walnut & canarywood!!!

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Nice! Thank you, Joe

[@atlas227428]

Another great video Mark. Thanks for sharing and keeping us in the know on all kinds of woods.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Thank you so much Bryan. 👍

[@keirfarnum6811]

Thanks for the info. Direct, efficient, and to the point. You’re making good videos.

[@stratocactus]

This kind of videos is so useful ! Thanks a lot. I'm a guitar maker and there is so much BS when it comes to mahogany.

[@coletrain4121]

Thx. Always great to see the finish on the stock as well as know the tendencies concerning UV rays. 👌🏼

[@johnhasbrook886]

Excellent video. Now I have a better understanding when offered different types of mahogany, beyond just the cost.

[@darkman1301]

I actually enjoyed the details you went into with the various types.

[@rossbausone6552]

Great job Mark! First time for me and I appreciate the level of "weeds" you still kept it interesting!

[@madhattersc4051]

Great video. Agree with many comments, I love the detail and the attention to the qualities of these woods and what makes them unique. When your dealing with “rich mahogany” it’s nice to know what really makes it rich.

[@SoundsToBlowYourMind]

Interesting video. I've used a few of these species for building my stave and segmented drum shells. One other wood that is often called Mahogany is Utile, or "Sipo Mahogany" which is very similar to Sapele, but has a more coarse grain with bigger open pores. I would have mentioned the stability of these different species as one of the reasons genuine Mahogany is so popular is that it's extremely stable and hardly moves at all once kiln dried.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Good point! Thx

[@fbtool]

I really appreciate these video's. I'm always learning something useful about lumber to try

[@harryjs2000]

I could listen to your videos all day!!

[@ukype]

Great on-camera persona. Love the work.

[@woodstoney]

Very nicely presented. Lots of really useful info.

[@Kattak2772]

Really great Video! Thank for all the great info !

[@rootvalue]

This couldn’t be better timing. Yesterday I reclaimed some “mahogany” from a table where the top was a different species than the legs. Your videos are always an instant click for me!

[@rootvalue]

I’m still unsure what the legs are, though. The grain is characteristic of mahogany but incredibly light in color.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

So cool, thanks! Not sure I can help with IDing the legs or not but it's worth a shot if you have a pic. Send to [e-mail] and [e-mail] and we'll give it a shot

[@just-dl]

This is a win for me! I love this type of video. Not least of all because you have knowledge, coupled with enthusiasm. Thank you! Oh, and, I love African Mahogany and Sapele! They're both beautiful and a joy to work with. There's a trait to African Mahogany that I learned with my first project with it. When sanded and finished, the layers of different cell types are amidst translucent, as you turn it different directions, you can see into different layers of the wood. I had a piece on the lathe, under a new light...I just put oil on it, and as the lathe was slowing down, I saw the grain pattern and depth for the first time. It was love at first sight. (Sigh) excuse me.....I need a tissue....

[@samfly87]

Haven't gotten into exotics yet myself, so this video really helped me understand what the other KZbin warriors are talking about!

[@ejicon3099]

I have zero experience working with mahogany so I’ve been doing my research and came across this informative video. In Southern California, it’s Extremely difficult to locate genuine mahogany. The majority of the time, it’s African Mahogany that I’m seeing at my local lumber yards. I’ll just have to keep on searching. Thanks for sharing this video and all of your knowledge with us.

[@jdickinson7]

LOVE your teaching style and as one critic put it the “jerky jump-cut” editing. Kudo’s to you and your video production team. THis was educational & entertaining.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Thank you much!

[@leehaelters6182]

On the other side of the coin, I love the info as much as everyone else, and thanks, but I hate the "jerky jump cut". Take it under advisement.

[@sams5155]

Mark your doing a great job explaining and showing the difference between all types of wood most of us viewers are looking for and enjoy watching so if you think you went in the weeds for a little bit then brother feel free to always get in the weeds because we get to understand and learn a little longer so great work.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Sam S thanks for the feedback, glad to know you’re getting some good info out of these videos

[@danceswithaardvarks3284]

Thanks. I had been meaning to look into this subject for a while now.

[@garymoorhead3890]

Always appreciate info on species, but I'd also like to take a look around Mark's garage/shop and explore some of his jigs. I'm always on the lookout to learn from others, and jigs and templates are the secret to great achievement. Thanks!

[@ryanchapman2636]

I love working with sapelle, I picked up quite a bit of it cheaply off eBay a while back and have made all sorts out of it. It looks great and complements a few other woods very nicely

[@dannyboy1244]

I've been wondering about mahogany for a while. Thanks!

[@jriddim]

Love your videos, you are a fantastic teacher sir. Picked up some genuine while it was on sale recently and am super happy with the boards you guys sent me and am excited to start working with them!

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Great to hear! THANK YOU!👍👍👍👍👍

[@shannonperkins9906]

Holy cow. Thank you! I'm a custom kitchen/bathroom designer in Indiana. Our shop (yes; we also manufacture on-site) got a call today for an African Mahogany kitchen and bathroom. In at least the last six years, the most exotic request we've gotten is a toss-up between bamboo and walnut until today. I knew NOTHING about the different species of mahogany. I DEFINITELY didn't know anything about how it handles. This was quick, and concise. THANK YOU!

[@unclepewter4161]

Ty for this because I haven’t worked with mahogany before and I have a repair of a mahogany table coming up and now I know what to look for when I get the wood for it

[@tpobrienjr]

Thank you. A friend in Belize makes boxes out of cutoffs from some of the most beautiful woods I have seen. But I sure like what you've shown us. I'll be back!

[@frederickwatson557]

Nice job. I learned a lot. There will be a lot less stress next time I buy "mahogany" at my lumber source.

[@johnnylawson69]

Holy crap. Your videos on wood species are great. I've only seen this one and the one on walnut. Now I need to see what else is there.

[@anthonypayne6032]

Dude stumbled upon your channel love the for mat been in the building trade 25 plus and starting to move into cabinets and furniture. I've always been an remodeler of kitchens and baths.

[@RonnWaters]

Thanks for all the details!

[@cmoreno12345]

Best video I found so far on the topic.

[@miamitreasurehunter]

Amazing!! Keep these coming please.

[@lawrencehincker8652]

Thanks Mark. Don't worry about getting into the weeds. This was great and informative. Most importantly, now I know why my recent mahogany project was splitting and chipping on my router table. All this time, I thought mahogany was mahogany but upon inspecting the grain and pulling out my year's old receipt, I see that it was African Mahogany, which you confirm is susceptible to those problems.. Now I know to be careful.

[@harrydavis6903]

Interesting and informative. Thanks, Mark.

[@MrBishbashbosh2012]

Really interesting, I love how you teach us about wood rather than the build videos I normally watch. Thanks

[@macdietz]

Great woodworking resource!

[@HenricKohagen]

Sapele is my favorite it has so many types of beautiful shine patterns

[@boazjoe1]

WooHoo! Now I too can be a Mahogony snob, er geek. Thanks for the great info. Woodturner at heart. Appreciate the extra mile of showing the aged colors.

[@markalbano1851]

Mark, Your videos are extremely insightful and helpful. Please keep them coming! Do you work at a particular location (store)?

[@jimseviltwin1]

Memory lane: Back in high school wood shop in the 60’s the wood-of-choice was mahogany; it was 6/4, rough on both sides. The planks were 12 - 14 foot long, it cost us the students 18 cents a running foot !

[@doug.ritson]

I made a table in shop class in the 70's of Philippine Mahogany which was super exotic at the time.

[@robertmoriarty925]

Great video. I looked up Sapele a while back because I have a Taylor guitar with solid Sapele back and sides. I learned more from your video and like my guitar a little more now😄. Thank you!

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Ahhhh! A Taylor guitar.... yeah, very nice!

[@chipsterb4946]

Robert Moriarty hah! I bought my Taylor 314c so long ago I had to look up what woods it’s made of. Sure enough Sapele back and sides.

[@estrellagolingay4266]

Thanks for this educational video. Here in the Philippines, we've planted around 2 thousand mahogany trees in our farm. Lumber is reddish and extremely hard but gives out a smooth sheen.

[@EricMitjans]

I just built a desk using Sapele and I loved it! The local wood shop sold it as Mahagony, so I had a couple of questions that your video helped answer. Good stuff!

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Eric Mitjans awesome, we’re at your service 👍

[@thomasnourse7506]

Great! I'm getting ready to build a desk with Sapele too... glad to hear it worked out well for you. Fingers crossed!

[@chriswild2458]

Excellent info we use a lot of sapele in our work here in the U K 👍

[@lone-wolf-1]

Coming from the guitar section. Wanted to listen to different mahogany, but learned here so much mire! Great! How about someday a short vid knocking on planks of roughly the same size, but diff. mahogany types and derivates. Guitarists would love that.

[@ainadogo4334]

Great video. Very informative. 👌❤

[@burchardisbasement2671]

Thank you for a great video on a difficult topic.

[@pauldisse1676]

Thanks mark I’ve been doing this for many many years but if someone doesn’t show you it’s hard to know the difference

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

That is so very true.

[@Ebaybbq]

Very detailed information, thanks

[@gavincatt607]

I love your videos, learn so much about wood species

[@FrankTheTank7575]

Gall ee. Mark must be a true Texan. Thanks for the video. Very informative.

[@ganapatihegde1024]

Nice vlog! Great presentation. I am a new subscriber to your channel. Greetings from Plano, Texas, United States.

[@markfutato7547]

I appreciate the education.

[@darthmcgrath8736]

thank you Mark,for the description.

[@taokichavez9319]

Amazing video, thanks for sharing

[@yijin1907]

This is just what info I need ! thanks!

[@tchevrier]

I love mahogany. It's one of my favourite woods. The wood has almost a 3-d look to it.

[@jackfrost-fu7hz]

Good video, I recently finished a project with Sapele ribbon, finished it with satin arm r seal. It is a beautiful wood and affordable. I prefer the Sapele ribbon because it has a tighter grain that does not need a grain filler for a smooth finish. I had several projects with African mahogany and it required a grain filler due to the large open pores.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Yeah, another good point! Sapele is nicer in that regard.

[@Devon.Martin]

Great video, thanks for sharing.

[@mmitchellml3]

Mark, loving your videos. I live in Fort Collins, CO but spend a week or so a month in the Phoenix metro area. Have bought hardwood at your Tempe store a number of times. Hope maybe I can shake your hand sometime. Great stuff!

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Great to hear Mike! I stop in about once a week to the store

[@MohamedElHanoun]

Great explanation Absolutely the best Thank’s for the info

[@jondurfee1519]

Thank you Mark! So helpful.

[@leeduhart105]

thanks for the video...this was the first wood i worked with in shop, high school.

[@ed_music1834]

Thank you for this sir. Really informative.

[@jeffbarrett7497]

Thanks for the very good videos. Consider video stabilization in post if your handheld cam doesn't have it built in. Cheers.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

That's a good tip. Man, there's a long "preflight" checklist to go through when making a video. The stabilization switch on the lens is easy to forget to check.

[@Gtrlac43]

Thanks for the useful info!

[@Kristopher250X]

Once again, great video. Thanks, Mark!

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

you're awesome, thank you

[@TheCrustyCupcake]

Made a very simple picture frame for a limited print I got for my Fathers day. Had a 1x2 of Sapele and it came out wonderful, strong peppery smell and finished with oil to a nice red color.

[@dddmmm21]

Very informative channel!

[@davidrusso4750]

Great video. Thanks so much - wish I were in Arizona. Maybe I will try your wood via on-line purchase?

[@ingridwitherell440]

Thank you for the education... you learned about plant classification awfully early in life. I was just wondering if I could use my "mahogany" pieces for a couple of storms that I am making, but I didn't know if I could paint it (wet conditions). But, I might have Sapele! Would be better to add to a table that we are reworking. I will look on your site for other wood.

[@KarlBunker]

Good video. And personally, I'm happy to see a more detailed video that gets into the weeds about family, genus, species and whatnot.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Wonderful, thank you

[@3lightsteps]

I agree! Love the botanical info.👍

[@asbrand]

About to say the same. Most woodworkers tend to be at least in their 30's and older, and have longer attention spans. Please keep up with the botanical and historical info.

[@just-dl]

KarlBunker concur!!!

[@thomasarussellsr]

Knowledge is power, bring on the knowledge. How can we make an informed decision without the information. Thanks for sharing everything you can about the wood. You never know what some woodworkers may find to be important information. The geneology/"family tree" of species of woods can be quite helpful if your local supplier is short on supply of a material and you know this information, you can substitute a close relative for drawer bottoms, back panels or what have you if they have you preferred stock's "cousin" available. Thanks for the information.

[@skateborg]

Loves this. I have "mahogany" in most of my guitars. Hard to know where any of it comes from.

[@markusanger]

Dude, you explained everything like a pro and I learned quite a bit. I’m a wood nerd working for Martin for 30 years and tone-woods are my life. Thank you for your knowledge. MJ

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Glad to help!!!!

[@karl_alan]

Thank you. This was very informative. I have liked khaya in the past, although there are things i didn't love about it. I actually use sepele on about half of my projects now. Where i am, it is way cheaper than walnut (and often prettier in my opinion), and also cheaper than oak or maple. It also goes well with a variety of woods, like canarywood, oak or maple.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

So true, it looks great with just about anything! Thanks Karl.

[@Drew-C-]

Appreciate the tips on Mahogany. I have a ton of khaya ivorensis that I grew for 25 years in Florida. I'm getting ready to carve it now. 😊

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Awesome! Thank you 👍

[@VonnStrummer]

Very good video! Thank you!!!