Cuban Mahogany Box

Wow, what a great story. And what a shame that it’s gone.

At least the American Chestnut was a natural disaster.

-- Father of two sons. Both Eagle Scouts.

Yes, I hope he does lend you some more! Great project as always!
PEACE!!!

-- Allison, Northeastern Ca. Remember, Amateurs built the Ark. Professionals built the Titanic!

Charlie, you are truly the Box Master! I sure would like to have one for my business cards. Thanks for sharing.

-- My favorite piece is my last one, my best piece is my next one.

Nice job Charlie.

The wood looks like the Santos Mahogany I used for the sides of my step stool. Maybe it’s the same thing with a different name.

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

Charlie A great looking box. Ask you friend for the other guys name and number.

I hate for anyone to hoard all of the lumber.

A nice little box.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

Charlie this is a gorgeous box and a wonderful story to go with it.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

Thanks, Y’all!

Gary: There is a similarity in appearance to Santos mahogany, but I did some research, and it is a different speicies altogether. Santos grows from Mexico all the way down through South America. Cuban is only found in the Carribbean vicinity. Due to its rarity, Cuban mahogany is not commercially logged anywhere. You can only get it from plantation-raised trees. The Cuban mahogany that used to grow in southern Florida (now completely non-existant) was the most prized variety of all, because the heavy limestone content of the soil made the trees slower-growing and denser than those found in the islands.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

Thats a nice box.

-- CJIII Future cabinetmaker

Beautiful little box Charlie, and the story is great. Very good build

-- Mike, Bruce Mississippi = Jack of many trades master of none

Stories like yours just prove once again that truth is “more fascinating” than fiction. And the box is gorgeous.

Great story and very nice box.

-- All bleeding will eventually stop.

Great story. Good luck on the treasure acquisition:-) Everytime I see a slash pile, I wonder what treasures are going to waste in there??

-- Debt is nothing more than the 21st Century's form of slavery.

Wow, Charlie that wood looks great. Great story too…

-- As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17) †

You’re not only sexy, but you do great work too.

-- Odie, Confucius say, "He who laughs at one's self is BUTT of joke". http://woodstermangotwood.blogspot.com/ (my funny blog)

And I bet you will never reveal the location of the rest of the stash, you,ll just bring some out occasionaly to make the rest of us insanely jealous!

-- if the hand is not working it is not a pure hand

Nice box Charlie. You really got this down.

I just love these little stash stories. It should remind us all to stash all we can, if not for us, then maybe for the next guy.

Steve

-- Stevethepeeve -- I'm no rocket surgeon

Nice little box, and story

-- Ron in Osseo, Minnesota

I love the story and the mahogany box. I have found a source of wood that is being recovered from a Florida swamp from logging done a 100 years ago. These logs are sitting in about 18 feet of water and are being raised and dried. Mahogany and Cypress are some of the woods they have found so far. The Mahogany piece I bought is the stump area near the root, so it’s got a lot of different graining in it than the trunk. It is also somewhat fozzilized, as it has absorbed the minerals from the silt it sat in for the last 100 years. It’s a very dark brown/black but you can see some other colors in it. Some of the non-fossilized woods are quite pristine and still maintain a lot of color and look like they were felled recently except for the tell-tale wear of the outer skin. The skin of these woods are interesting by themselves, as you can see the years of wear, with an interesting raising of the grain and it has turned an ashen grey.

If anyone is interested in contacting them, let me know.

-- "They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." ~ Edgar Allan Poe

It reminds me of the wood planking in my Dad’s old boat. He said it was Honduran Mahogany. I spent a lot of time below, and I still think the contrast with the oak ribs is the perfect combination of woods. There is a shimmer that seems to come from inside the wood that just does not photograph at all.

-- -- John, Washington, DC

Charlie, I am very jealous of your Cuban Mahogoni, it sounds like a dream to work!

-- Nicholas, Journeyman Cabinetmaker, Partenkirchen, Germany

Terrific box. I am a box man myself. Now how about one for those cuban cigars? :-)

-- Tony Friendly, FriendlyFixer

I just need to convince my friend to part with some more of his stash!

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"