# Carving different kinds of mahogany



## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

I wanted to try some carving on mahogany. My local hardwood store has a few options. One labeled "true mahogany", then they have African Mahogany, and they had a 3rd type which was the cheapest of all but I can't rememebr the name. The true mahogany is about 3 times the price of the African. So question, If I wanted to carve a sign with some relief, would the African work ok? Or should I splurge on the true? The other bad part is the true only comes in 4/4 whereas the African they had in 6/4.


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

I've carved African Mahogany (at least that's what I think it is called - it's some form of Mahogany) a couple of times with good success. It's a little more prone to tearout than Basswood but I found it more cooperative than Walnut.


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

Hey, I recognize that sign! Awesome!


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

Thanks  I made it for the Beer Swap last year.


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## Finn (May 26, 2010)

I found mahogany is hard to carve well because of tear out of it's brittle surface. Walnut cuts much cleaner.


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## CaptainKlutz (Apr 23, 2014)

https://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/mahogany-mixups-the-lowdown/


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## Phil32 (Aug 31, 2018)

Thank you Capt. Klutz for the link to the excellent article in the Wood Database! My first relief carving, 72 years ago, was done in mahogany. It carved very nicely and has been stable all these years. The few pieces I've tried since have been hard, brittle, stringy and uncooperative. Remember that carving exposes a lot of end grain.


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

Yes, thanks for the link CK. Now I know that I was wrong in my original response above. The Mahogany I used is not African Mahogany but Honduran or Cuban. Not sure I would be able to distinguish which one it is. It's a really nice wood to work with though!


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## Foghorn (Jan 30, 2020)

> Thank you Capt. Klutz for the link to the excellent article in the Wood Database! My first relief carving, 72 years ago, was done in mahogany. It carved very nicely and has been stable all these years. The few pieces I ve tried since have been hard, brittle, stringy and uncooperative. Remember that carving exposes a lot of end grain.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

> Yes, thanks for the link CK. Now I know that I was wrong in my original response above. The Mahogany I used is not African Mahogany but Honduran or Cuban. Not sure I would be able to distinguish which one it is. It s a really nice wood to work with though!
> 
> - HokieKen


My local wood store has "true mahogany " also labeled "Honduras"


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

I thought that there was still an embargo on mahogany (or pretty much everything else) from Cuba. I seem to recall hearing that Cuban is the "best" mahogany. I don't know the variety of mahogany that I used on my wife's Celtic knot pendant, but it did tend to chip. I managed to get it done, though. Lesson learned on scroll work. It is TEDIOUS. More power to people who like it.


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## DavePolaschek (Oct 21, 2016)

Khaya (African mahogany) is pretty workable, in my experience. Cheaper than Cuban or Honduran, and available in bigger pieces. The article CaptainKlutz linked to does a pretty good job explaining. Personally, I buy Khaya but sort through the pieces and pick out ones that look like they'll have more cooperative grain. I have one from the Woodcraft bargain bin that was interlocked and brittle and a nightmare to hand plane. Carving… glad I didn't try that.


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## CaptainKlutz (Apr 23, 2014)

Not into carving, so kept quiet before. 
But since this thread has ventured into general mahogany comments:

Here in AZ, can find genuine Mahogany shorts at various outlets. 
It is usually the dwarf Mexican Mahogany species Swietenia humilis Besides imports from Mexico, folks used to plant it as landscaping tree; so the urban sawyers often have a few slabs. Can be pretty wood, but not much straight grain, and full of knots/texture. But is it soft, fine grain wood species, and find it used for various carving's or turned bowls at craft fairs. Often with the knot's being used as focal point, or 'eye' of creature carved.

Have also found an urban sawyer labeling Mesquite as Mexican Mahogany. Most common local Mesquite (Black Mesquite) has double the density and is much darker color, which is dead give away on wrong labeling. But SW deserts also have Honey Mesquite, which is lighter color and reminds me of a sun bleached mahogany. Which can easily be mistaken for Lauan or Philippine Mahogany, except for density.

Haven't worked genuine Mahogany in couple decades, when I used it for jewelry box and fix grandma's dining room table leg.

Have used the African Mahogany several times, and agree with Wood Database description plus Dave's comments. 
It has a coarser grain/texture than genuine mahogany, and has more tear out. Have to sort through stack to find straight/tight grain boards. 
African mahogany sold lately in my retailers could almost be labeled flat sawn Sapele, due all the wavy figure and iridescence colors in figured areas? It also has had large growth rings, like a farm grown softwood or a pin oak.

If you are looking for an alternative carving wood to genuine Mahogany, suggest Meranti or Philippine Mahogany as decent fine grain substitute. It has same tear out as African Mahogany (more than genuine), and can have some silica; which is hard on cutting edges. But when Lauan has high silica content, it is easy to see. Will be higher density, and have white specs in grain boundaries. 
Reason I suggest Philippine Mahogany is this:
Lauan is commonly used for 'tourist trinket' carving production in Philippines. Used to travel there often for business. Have toured several wood working factories where folks where carving Indian totems, African Elephants. Monkeys, and other things; out of Lauan for export market. They would sand parts with nylon buffing wheel in grinder or hand drill to remove fuzzy edges; dip in shellac, then rub off excess with rag. Several shops used duplication lathe to turn out rough blanks, with workers knocking out a new carving every couple minutes. If you say the production line, would stop you from buying those 'hand carved' Hawaiian totems on vacation. lol

Cheers!


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## Foghorn (Jan 30, 2020)

Thanks for the input Captain Klutz. For what it's worth, Lauan would be a mahogany substitute as it isn't actually mahogany. I have at least one guitar set of Cuban that I've had for many years that was cut from an old table top. There is the odd windblown tree available from Florida and the likes but usually much smaller trees. Cuban hasn't been commercially available since the 50's but there is a bit here and there.


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

I got several boards of either Cuban or Honduran in a truck load of lumber I bought off Craigslist a few years ago. I have no idea how long the seller had it before I bought it so it's possible it's Cuban but I can't know for sure. Based on the Wood Database article it seems the two are so similar there's no good way I could tell them apart. Doesn't really matter though, it's a decent-looking wood that's stable and easy to work with so I like it


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## CV3 (Mar 3, 2015)

I use mahogany for cane handles and have done a few carvings with it. It can be difficult to carve. I have found keeping th cutting edge sharp and doing shallow cuts, working down the detail slowly, helps to minimize the tearout in the mahogany .


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

Wowzers, that's nice!


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