Cocobolo

Cocobolo lumber is a beautifully exotic species of dense wood native to Central America. It is cherished around the world for its deep, rich colors, beautiful grain patterns, immense strength, and watertight consistency. Due to its popularity, certain areas of Central America are at risk of over harvesting this gorgeous wood. As numbers of native trees continue to dwindle, cocobolo wood continues to grow more and more expensive.

Why is this species of wood so popular? Its unforgettable color plays a significant role. The heart of the tree is what provides its unique dark red, orange, and purple hues. The surrounding wood is also quite beautiful and is often a creamy yellow or brown. Like many tropical woods, this species is abundant in natural oils, making it highly resistant to water, mold, and insect infestations.

Cocobolo is a wood typically used for luxury items. You will often find cocobolo custom ink pens and pencils as well as musical instruments, knife hilts, wooden bowls, boxes, and more. For this reason, you won’t typically find this species of wood used for larger projects such as decks or fences—it’s simply too rare and too expensive.

However, if you are an experienced woodworker who wants to add a bit of timeless elegance to your smaller projects, this wood is certainly a good choice. Keep in mind, however, that the same oil content that keeps it watertight may also interfere with your instruments.

When working with cocobolo, it is crucial that you remember to clean and sharpen your saws after each session to prevent the oil from damaging your blades. The oil will also interact negatively with glue and oil based finishes, so keep this in mind when planning out your project.

Due to its rarity and its costliness, many woodworkers seek to use alternatives to this rare wood. There are a variety of beautiful woods on the market today that are more abundant and more affordable. Are you looking for a wood that imitates the gorgeous swirls found in cocobolo? You may have better luck with lumber made from walnut, cherry, maple, curly myrtle, and several other species. You can even attain a hue not unlike the cocobolo wood’s dramatic colors with liberal applications of wood stains and finishes.

This is not to say you should avoid cocobolo altogether, however. This species of wood is perfect if you want to create something beautiful, rare, and luxurious for your home or loved one. If you can afford the expense and have the skill required to create striking, unique pieces of art, this is definitely the perfect wood for you.