Satinwood

Scientific Name:

Zanthoxylum flavum OR Euxylophora paraensis

Other Names and Species:

Aceitillo
Bois Noyer
Bois Noyes
Espinillo
Jamaican Satinwood
Kalabarie
Pau Amarello
Prickly Ash
Yellow Sanders
Yellow Wood
Yellowheart

Origin:

Southern Florida to Brazil

Appearance:

The sapwood and heartwood of satinwood are both golden tan to orange in color. The species has an interlocked or irregular, sometimes roey or mottled grain, is high lustered, and is fairly even and fine in texture.

Properties:

Satinwood has a natural reistance to termite attack. The wood is reported to have a coconut oil odor when freshly cut. Although it is a harder species of wood, satinwood’s durability in regards to waer is somewhat lower than other woods. Satinwood can be somewhat difficult and time consuming to dry properly.

Janka Hardness: 1820

As a flooring option, satinwood is a fairy hard wood. It is identical in hardness to hickory or pecan, a little over a third harder than white oak, over twenty-five percent harder than hard maple, only forty points softer than purpleheart’s ranking of 1860, and is just under eighty-three percent as hard as santos mahogany’s ranking of 2200.

Workability:

Satinwood is relatively easy to saw properly. The wood holds both nails and glue well once applied. Glue holds well with satinwood flooring. This species sands fairly well and takes a fine polish due to its lusterous properties.

Principal Uses:

Satinwood’s uses include flooring, veneer, furniture, cabinets, and inlay work.