# What is the rarest wood that you know of, that is still available?



## JonathanG

I an toying with the idea of building a very small project for a loved one, so that's why I'm asking the question. It might be a small piece of jewelry, or maybe a smallish box, at the most. It sort of depends on the wood.

I am looking for something I can actually currently purchase.

Please list the name of the wood, and if you have any more information, such as price/BF, source for the wood, links, a story about the wood, etc.

Even if you have a piece of a particular wood that you're willing to part with, I'd be interested in that too. With that caveat, please don't send me PMs saying you have 50-BF of oak that you want to unload.


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## Raftermonkey

I have read a list somewhere online that Snakewood is the rarest, Pink Ivory is second rarest then Bolivian Rosewood. I'm not sure on the availibilty of the Snakewood and Rosewood but I know you can pick up a piece of Pink Ivory on ebay. It is a little pricey though. Good luck with whatever you find.

Zeke


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## botanist

What about Kauri? It might not be the most expensive, but you're using wood that's over 50,000 (not a typo) years old.
http://www.ancientwood.com/press-kit/50000-year-old-wood-available-us

Here's another source of info:
http://most-expensive.net/wood

Here's another Lumberjocks post about this topic:
http://lumberjocks.com/woodspark/blog/16574


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## HokieMojo

Rather than try to get a wood that is rare (and if it is the rarest without being endangered, it would just push it one step closer to being endangered), why not just pick something that you like? I suppose from a more sustainable perspective, you could go with AAAAA+ figured maple. It's rare, but maple is not an endangered species.


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## reggiek

Every piece of wood truly is one of a kind. Snakewood is rare…but attainable….so are alot of other exotics….woods that have burls or interesting figuring can be extremely rare in some species….It all really depends on whether you mean the rarest species? Or the rarest variety? or the rarest color? ....etc…etc.

On the other hand I think the thought that goes into a gift will be better received then whether it is a rare wood or such. I have also seen folks make things out of items from the past or that have an emotional tie….such as a tree planted by an ancestor….or a piece of the house you grew up in….something of that nature. I made something for a friend using some pieces of broken china that her great great grandmother brought here from Italy (inlayed it into the top of a blanket chest). I made a picture frame from pieces of a solid wood door from a sailboat that had won several races and was being re-modelled inside….the previous owner's family (the owner had died recently) was very happy to have a piece of their loved one's past.

Anyway…just some thoughts on the subject.


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## JonathanG

This was actually originally only a thought that popped into my head a few days ago, then it sort of evolved into the possibility of making something with it. I am not ready to make anything. It's just something floating around in my head right now.

I had thought of the Kauri, and will probably buy some of that eventually anyway to make a unique piece with it, or maybe spread it between several pieces.

I sort of starting thinking about the idea with the same sort of equivalent rareness as a flawless or even internally flawless color D-F diamond in-mind. That was kind of the basic thought.

Thanks for the ideas so far. Unfortunately, we don't have any special trees, pieces of meaningful wood, etc. to incorporate.


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## SPHinTampa

Amboyna Burl is pretty rare. You can usually find veneer and turning blanks on eBay. The veneer makes spectacular small boxes.


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## Raftermonkey

What he^ said. Amboyna burl is some of the coolest wood I've ever seen.


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## richgreer

I am sort of a connoisseur of rare exotic woods. I have some Amboyna Burl, Pink Ivory, Bolivian Rosewood and Kauri in my inventory. The only wood mentioned above that I have not had experience with is Snakewood.

For me, the rarest wood that I have found and purchased is Tsin Win. I saw it for sale once. I bought some and I have not seen it since.

Here is a product made with Tsin Win

http://www.etsy.com/listing/50477875/tsin-win-nostepindenostepinneball-winder

Other rare woods in my inventory are Blue Mahoe (yes, it is blue) and Rambutam.

Cedar of Lebanon is a biblically significant wood (it was used to build the first Jewish temple). It's pretty hard for me to get. I'm not so sure that it is rare - just hard to get in the US. If you look at my projects you will see a Cedar of Lebanon bowl. That was the first piece I ever got. I now have a second.

I have a lot of other interesting woods in my inventory but I don't think any others would fall into the rare category.

Regarding Amboyna Burl (of which I have quite a bit). It comes from the Narra tree. So why isn't it called "Narra Burl"? The Narra trees on Amboyna Island became famous for their burl and people kept referring to it as Amboyna Burl (Burl from Amboyna Island) and the name stuck. All burl from the Narra tree is called Amboyna burl regardless of where it is from. I know. I can be real boring.


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## TMcG

Actually, Rich, I found that kinda fascinating !

So Rambutam, as in the fruit tree from SE Asia ?

That Kauri looks amazing, 50,000 years old !, so a 12" x 4' pice of 4/4 would only be…....


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## racerglen

The Kauri is amazing, even the couple of contemporary pieces I scored in January of 2000 
while in New Zealand are pretty fine.
N/Z has all sorts of restrictions on their native woods due to the intense harvesting that virtualy wiped hem out in the 18/19 hundreds, but a friend building a house near the Bay of Plenty had to clear some land..GLOAT..the neatest woody part of that trip was visiting a park nearby just after a storm..you aren't supposed to be able to get or export some of the woods..but the rangers were cleaning up and I asked..hhmm..should be dry by now
;-)

What's realy weard to a North American is the Crown Zellerbach seed orchard/test forest thats been going for a long time.. "and here's some trees you should be familiar with..Redwoods..(you mean the red cedar..?)
along with Douglas Fir and others brought in to replentish the clear cuts.
Weird to see the tree plantations going up and over hills elswhere that are straight rows where we couldn't get a planter to walk, let alone climb !

And I'd love to go back….but I didn't like the hours cramped in the plane..

;-)


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## richgreer

TMcG - I bought a sample pack of Kauri. It consists of 4 bf and the pieces are of varying sizes. Nothing longer than 2'. If I remember correctly, I paid $89 for it. That's about $22/bf.

I know the Rambutan is from SE Asia. I did not know it was a fruit tree.


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## Gofor

The rarest wood would be a piece of something your loved one cherished in the past.

Go


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## TMcG

And they have veneer ! Hmm..

Yep, Rambutan is a red spiky outside with a white fruit inside, sorta like a lychee but sweeter, really spindly tree though so I'm sure it's an interesting lumber.


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## stefang

A rare wood makes a good story, but personally I think jewelry is all about how the light reflects on it (cut diamonds for example). A nice piece of curly maple or some other species where the rays catch the light and give depth could also be very attractive. Just a thought.


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## dbray45

My take on it, and this is a good topic - some of the burls can be beautiful and each are unique so each slice is a one of a kind piece of wood.

When you get right down to it, every piece of wood is unique and what you do with it makes it special. If you are making something for a loved one, take your time, treat every cut as if it is special, because it is, and what ever you create will be from your heart. How rare the wood is or how much it cost is over rated, just makes you go broke faster - it is all in what you put into it that really matters.


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## HenryH

I would suggest you consider the quality of the wood over the rarity of it. As others have said there are some beautiful woods that are available (though not cheap), many from the U.S. 
I just think as woodworkers we need to consider the sources of our wood and what the effects are down the road. 
Something to consider.


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## Raftermonkey

TMcG, You mentioned Lychee and that reminded me of all the great Hawaiian woods. I've got a piece of Lychee with a natural edge and it is pretty awesome. When I first started carving/turning I wanted to use super rare exotics, but then somebody on another forum got me thinking about where the wood comes from and did I know for sure that it was harvested legally. I really hadn't thought about it (I can be a little dumb sometimes) but now I make an effort to find out exactly where every piiece I get comes from and what the circumstances are of why it was harvested. A lot of what I get was knocked down in a storm, cut by power companies or harvested by legal burlers, such as Greg at Oregon Burls. Anyway back to the Lychee. Hawaii has got some really cool woods. I would suggest trying to get in touch with "Joelinhawaii" on ebay or go to his site. He's got the goods. Norfolk pine, Mango, Spalted Mango, Koa, Milo, Macadamia and well you get the idea.
*At Rich* I am now accepting donations of Amboyna Burl bowl blanks on behalf of the "Make a DISH Foundation" haha. j/k

Sorry or the brief threadjackl. Carry on.

Zeke


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## Seer

There is another called Huanghuali and about the only way to get it is from broken furniture in the far east. One small pen blank can fetch in the hundreds and what makes it so rare is I read it was an extinct tree but then I could be wrong.

*The RAREST woods are the ones that are extinct and can only be harvested from antique furniture and the like.* 
Also here: http://www.ancientwood.com/


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## richgreer

Zeke - My biggest pieces of amboyna burl are about 10" x 3" x 2". That is not bowl material. I use it primarily for accents and inlays. However, I have done some pens.


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## BobG

My opinion for what it's worth is Birds eye Maple. It's the prettiest wood I have come across and a jewelry box made from a piece, with great figure, would be seen every day! Good luck in your search and hope the ideas help!


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## 8iowa

From a domestic standpoint, the once abundant Chestnut, is now extremely rare. If you can find it at all, it's probably been reclaimed from an old barn.

We have an antique dry sink made of Chestnut. I wish this wood were more available.


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## JonathanG

I think it is always good to think about where our wood is coming from. We might not have to worry as much about where our maple is coming from, but definitely need to keep it in-mind when purchasing exotics. The rain forests are being pillaged and ripped apart way too much as it is.

And yes, whether it's poplar, or snakewood, or a burl, every piece of wood is unique. I have always tried to think about that when designing, prepping for, and completing a project. Whether I have succeeded, I don't know, but ever since I made my second project on here, which was a basic ring holder made out of walnut, I have always attempted to showcase the wood I am working with.

Thanks for everyone's thoughts on the matter. I have learned about a few new species of wood that I didn't know were out there. And to possibly find out more about some wood gems, maybe we can carry the discussion over to another thread I started asking about the most expensive wood out there.


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## Praki

I believe Red Sandalwood (Zitan) and Sandalwood are rare and expensive. I have been trying to acquire a small sandalwood log for sometime now and no success yet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pterocarpus_santalinus


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## jamesicus

The exotic hardwoods with a specific gravity greater than 1.0 (will not float in water) such as _Lignum Vitae, Ebony, Snakewood, Desert Ironwood_, the Rosewoods (Dalbergia spp. including _Cocobolo & Kingwood_) are mostly rare, expensive and often restricted in International trade. But they are available from specialized dealers. My own favorite resource is Griffin Exotic Wood. Bear in mind that the woods I mention here are very hard (esp. on tools) and freqently difficult to work. Some exotic hardwoods with an average specific gravity greater than 1.0:

_1.32 - Lignum Vitae (heaviest wood, in the past often used for machine bearing surfaces)
1.30 - Snakewood (grain does resemble snakeskin - very exotic and rare)
1.29 - Leadwood 
1.26 - Argentine Lignum Vitae (often called false Lignum Vitae)
1.22 - Brazilwood
1.21 - African Blackwood (used to make musical wind instruments such as clarinets)
1.20 - Kingwood (often used to make furniture for French royalty - Louis XV and XVI)
1.19 - Desert Ironwood (often designated the hardest of all woods)
1.14 - Gabon Ebony (formerly used for black piano keys, etc.)
1.14 - Macassar Ebony (one of the most expensive woods)
1.11 - Cocobolo (frequently used for woodworking tool furniture - plane totes/knobs, etc.)_

I will take close-up photos of some exotic wood specimens in my collection tomorrow and post them here together with my experiences working them.

James


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## jamesicus

I previously wrote:

_I will take close-up photos of some exotic wood specimens in my collection tomorrow and post them here together with my experiences working them._

I will start with three very rare and beautiful species: from top to bottom (trade names):
_
Brazilian Rosewood
Madagascar Rosewood
Snakewood_










All three are endangered species - CITES Appendix I (prohibited in International trade)

James


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## jamesicus

I previously wrote:

_I will take close-up photos of some exotic wood specimens in my collection tomorrow and post them here together with my experiences working them._

Three of my favorite decorative species: from top to bottom (trade names):
_
Macassar Ebony
Kingwood
Cocobolo_










James


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## JasonIndy

At the Woodworking show this weekend in Indy, they had a half-round piece of Snakewood about 7 or 8" in diameter and about a foot long for $250. Using the eyeball test it was much, much more expensive than the ebony they had in stock.


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## Butch1974

The rarest burl I have found is from North America it is Bog Oak Burl. It was dated bout 4000 yrs old. It was found in bog 20, 30 and 50 feet deep. They have dug out oak, walnut and a couple others i cant remember. I actually made a pen with the bog oak burl that is absolutely beautiful.


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## bondogaposis

Alder.


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## Ocelot

I would look with your senses (eyes mostly) rather than your money. Many beautiful woods are not extremely rare. Some rare woods are not much to look at.

Having said that, I would like some "Mountain Mahogany", which is no relation to true mahogany, is not particularly endangered, but grows only in very small twisted trees in remote and inaccessible places. I liked the look of it before I knew that, unfortunately.

https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/cercocarpus_ledifolius.shtml

http://www.mcivorwoodworks.com/curled_rim_mountain_mahogany_bow.htm


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## craftsman on the lake

On another note: I have some 40 year old guitar backs and sides blanks that I purchased at that time and never used. Today it's illegal to sell them because their endangered (Rosewood) and I don't have the original receipts for them to prove I purchased them before they became that way. So… that's pretty rare.


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## Ocelot

Craftsman,

As I understand it, you can sell them, you can even carry them across national boarders (if less than 10Kg). You just can't ship them. But I may be mistaken.

-Paul


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## MrFunnyMan

You can always try Chestnut. It can't be harvested new, but sometimes if you know of anyone that does barn refurbishment or demo's, they come across some that can be had. The thing that makes it rarer than most is the blight that almost wiped out the entire species. They are currently trying to bring it back, but last I heard, they haven't been successful yet.


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## EarlS

I have a local sawyer that has a fair amount of Chestnut that is in great shape and decently priced ($7.50 BF if I recall correctly). I pick up a couple pieces every time I buy lumber from him and add it to the stash.


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## bondogaposis

Instead of looking for rareness, which is not necessarily a good measure of beauty. Look for figure, even the most common woods can have beautiful figure, especially feather crotch, curly, spalting, angel stairs, quilting and burl figure.


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## LiveEdge

Maybe we should look at the rareness of the original posting date…2011. I'm guessing the project is long made by now.


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## craftsman on the lake

HA!!!!



> Maybe we should look at the rareness of the original posting date…2011. I m guessing the project is long made by now.
> 
> - LiveEdge


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