Swietenia macrophylla
Central & South American Mahogany Lumber
The species commonly known as “Genuine Mahogany” refers to Swietenia macrophylla, a type of wood that grows in Central and South America. The term “Genuine” is mainly a way of separating this species from the more recent market entrants which come from Africa and Asia.
MaHOGANY AND CITES
Mahogany is a CITES appendix II listed species since 2008. Global quotas on export were severely limited at that point. In the ensuing nearly 20 years the Mahogany forestry programs has recovered nicely. While CITES limitations still apply we are excited about the quality and size availability changes we have seen to the species. It is still a difficult species to acquire and for that reason we still recommend our customers consider Sapele as the best alternative. But its is exciting to see what regulation has done for Mahogany and the quality of the material available.
Mahogany History
When Mahogany first became popular in the western world, it was sourced exclusively from Central and South America, but as supplies began to dwindle due to poorly managed logging practices, manufacturers began to search for alternatives. Today we find Mahogany still as a primary species used in fine furniture making due to its even and relatively soft grain. It carves brilliantly and absolutely glows under a finish. It is a great exterior wood option with a much lighter weight than many of its reddish wood imposters. Its stability makes it a great option for windows and doors, and the clear quality and easy workability of the species makes for outstanding millwork where fine details are needed. But as stated above needed regulations keeps Mahogany from its former glory. Honestly many of the African Mahogany like species today perform better in exterior millwork and this has taken a lot of pressure away from the Genuine Mahogany trade. Ideally this has allowed Mahogany to continue to be available for custom furniture makers around the world.
Mahogany is an outstanding wood to work with, as it is easy to machine and carve. Mahogany lumber has experienced recent popularity as an exterior wood, and it is used extensively by window and door manufacturers due to its exceptional moisture and rot resistance.
Many cabinet shops and furniture makers prize the wood not only for its durability, but also for its ease of machining and its deep, rich color. The clear nature of the species lends itself well to millwork, where knots can tear out while running a moulding profile or joinery. As it was prized hundreds of years ago, Mahogany still remains a hallmark of fine work.
Genuine Mahogany Characteristics
| Character | Green | Dry | Units |
| Bending Strength | 8844 | 11514 | psi |
| Crushing Strength | 923 | 1580 | psi |
| Max Crushing Strength | 4425 | 6465 | psi |
| Static Bending | 5001 | 6927 | psi |
| Impact Strength | 30 | 23 | inches |
| Stiffness | 1305 | 1426 | 1000 psi |
| Work to Maximum Load | 9 | 8 | in-lbs/in3 |
| Hardness (Janka) | – | 801 | lbs |
| Shearing Strength | – | 1230 | psi |
| Toughness | – | 212 | in-lbs |
| Specific Gravity | 0.54 | 0.59 | – |
| Weight | 47 | 31 | lbs/ft3 |
| Density | – | 36 | lbs/ft3 |
| Radial Shrinkage | – | 3 | % |
| Tangential Shrinkage | – | 5 | % |
| Volumetric Shrinkage | – | 8 | % |
Mahogany Wood and Sustainability
J. Gibson McIlvain always has a large supply of Genuine Mahogany in stock in a variety of widths, thicknesses, and lengths to suit any project’s needs. Our inventory also includes some very wide boards (in the 20-35″ range). We work hard to maintain top grade Mahogany, but it can be hard due to severe import regulations imposed by Mahogany’s CITES listing. In the last several years we have pulled back a bit from stocking the species as the grade could not always meet our customers’ standards. But we are excited to see a dramatic increase in quality and better line of sight in the sourcing since the initial listing of Mahogany on CITES appendix II. It is exciting to see the process working and a bright future for Mahogany lumber. For questions concerning the sustainability of our Mahogany wood, please let us know and we can talk with you about the appropriate CITES permits and fill you in on our verification process for all our Mahogany sawmills and suppliers.
