Jatoba

Jatoba

Durability:

Moderately durable, but non-durable when a high proportion of sapwood is present. It is very resistant to termites and extremely resistant to preservative treatment.

Mechanical Properties:

Very strong, hard and tough with a very good bending classification. Jatoba wood is rated as being very durable in regards to rot resistance, and is also resistant to termites and most other insects.

Seasoning:

Rather difficult to dry,tends to be rapid with moderatesurface checking and warping and a liability to case harden. Slow drying will overcome these tendencies. There is small movement in service.

Uses:

  • Jatoba is excellent for flooring, stair treads, ship planking, general woodworking joinery and building construction
  • Its high shock resistance and extreme hardness and strength makes it ideal for tool handles and sports goods
Get in Touch

Description

Jatoba timber, also known as Brazilian cherry, has heartwood that is salmon red to orange-brown, marked with dark brown and russet brown streaks. The wood has a golden lustre. The grain is commonly interlocked with a medium to coarse texture. Weight 910kg/m³ (56lb/ft³); specific gravity .91.

Additional information

Latin Name

Hymenaea courbaril

Family Name

Leguminosae

Distribution

Central and South America and West Indies

Also know as

Jutaby, courbaril, jatai amerelo, jatai vermelho (Brazil); locust (Suriname); copal (Equador); marbre (Guadaloupe); guapinal (Mexico); algarrobo (Puerto Rico)

Timber you may like

  • Iroko

    Iroko

    Iroko is golden-orange to brown, lighter vessel lines are conspicuous on flat saw surfaces. The material may contain large, hard deposits of calcium carbonate in cavities, and the timber around them may be darker in colour. The grain is interlocked and sometimes irregular and the texture rather coarse, but even. The weight is 640 kg/m³ (40 lb/ft³); specific gravity .64.

  • Cumaru

    Cumaru

    The heartwood is reddish-brown or purplish-brown, with light yellowish-brown or purplish streaks when freshly cut, turning to a variegated reddish and yellowish-brown after drying, but on exposure to light assuming a uniform yellowish-brown or light brown colour. The sapwood is about 50mm wide, distinct from the heartwood and yellowish-brown in colour. The wood has a waxy or oily feel, a fine texture, and irregular and often interlocked grain. It is an extremely hard and heavy wood.

  • Purpleheart

    Purpleheart

    Purpleheart's general qualities are outlined below. From our headquarters in Leicestershire, we can supply high-quality cuts of purpleheart wood across the UK. For all enquiries and information, please contact our customer support team.

    • Colour: As the name suggests, Purpleheart’s heartwood is a deep purple-violet colour when freshly cut, maturing to a dark brown. The original colour is restored when re-cut.
    • Grain: Straight grained, but often irregular, wavy, and sometimes interlocked, producing a pleasing striped figure on quartered surfaces.
    • Texture: moderate to fine.
    • Weight: Weight varies from 800-1,000 kg/m³ (50-63 lb/ft³) averaging 860 kg/m³ (54 lb/ft³).
    • Specific gravity: 86.

  • Utile

    Utile

    The heartwood matures from a pink-brown when fresh cut to deep red-brown. The grain is interlocked to rather irregular, producing a wide irregular striped figure on quartered surfaces. Weight varies from 550-750 kg/m³ (34-47 lb/ft³), but averages 660 kg/m³ (41 lb/ft³); specific gravity .66. Texture, uniformly moderate.