Brazilian Mahogany is now very difficult to obtain in the UK. Sapele is sold as a substitite mahogany.
I realise the characteristics are different ie) weight interlocking grain and the smell..and the Latin name for sapele, (Entandophragma cylindricum)
As sapele is from the same botanical family…ie) the Meliaceae, would I be out of order advertising furniture made from Sapele as mahogany?
Do manufacturers call sapele veneered furniture, mahogany veneered……….or Sapele.
The reason I ask is that the run of the mill person has heard of mahogany…but not so much Sapele?
Mike
Replies
Mike,
I've used quite a bit of both over the years & have advised clients what species I've used, however in my experience "the public" are generally more concerned with whether they like the piece, will it fit in & how much before the species is of concern. Also to acheive the traditional mahogany colour the timber will probably require staining anyway so it becomes your call.
One of our major retailers is currently advertising their furniture as "solid plantation grown mahogany" but my rekoning it comes from the western Pacific, not the Americas or Africa. Another are getting themselves into a bit hot water as their claim of sustainablity is being disputed.
Sapele has also been substituted for the mahoganies for some time in Australiasia as in the UK & I beleive at one time was marketed here as West African Mahogany.
Personally I'd call it what it is & let your customers decide, after all you've got to live with yourself & if the piece is what they want they'll buy it regardless. You might also want to check out the price of Brazillian mahogany - the last lot I got was $6580 /cu m or $183 / cu ft. ($1Au = 0.66 Euros) so that may be a factor in your calculations.
Good luck
Don
Thanks for the info Don.
Yep I should just call it what it is......
I notice you mentioned staining. In the past I have only used Danish oil and wire wool to finish most projects I made. I always feel like I am cheating if I use stains!!!!
I admit to having a disaster one time and the part turned out anything but natural....
maybe I should take a course?
Mike
Mike
In my experience & perhaps because of the rep we have developed most of my clients prefer clear finishes. We are fairly lucky too that there is a great variation in timber colour available to us in this wide brown land so staining isn't always necessary. Personally, I agree with you about staining as I beleive that rarely will a timber be improved by changing its colour, however some species can gain an increased depth if sensibly treated. But at the end of the day I've still got to feed my family & will stain if the client requests it (not without a discussion tho).
Don
Don
plantation grown mahogany
I remember reading some years ago that Spanish Missionarys had planted quite a lot of mahogany in the Phillipines prior to 1800, starting sometime in the 15 or 1600s. These trees would be pretty mature and old growth by now, but I suppose that technically they would still qualify as "plantation grown" and sustainable as they are not native to the Phillipines !
Ian
Sapele is listed as African Mahogany is several sources.
Since I can tell the difference by looking, it does not matter what you call it.
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