OUR MATERIALS || EXOTIC HARDWOOD || BLOODWOOD
BLOODWOOD
Alternative Names & Variations: Brazilwood, Satinwood, Pau Rainha
Color: Bright, Vivid Red; May Darken Over Time
Hardness: Very Hard
Sustainability Status: Very Sustainable / Stable Species Population
Characteristics: Bloodwood's defining feature is its vibrant red heartwood, evolving into a darker brownish-red over time. The sapwood, well-defined but seldom used in lumber due to large trunk diameters, complements the heartwood. Bloodwood’s fine, straight, or slightly interlocked grain enhances the wood's texture and natural luster, with a chatoyant pattern adding visual appeal.
Bloodwood is known for durability and insect resistance; a thick protective finish and limited sunlight exposure maintain its vibrant color. Widely used in carvings, trim, inlays, furniture, guitars, knife handles, and turned objects, Bloodwood's popularity arises from its hardness, strength, and striking crimson hue, making it a cherished choice among woodworkers and artisans.
STRENGTHS
-
Bloodwood boasts a vibrant red color that deepens with age. When finished, Bloodwood exhibits an exceptional, lustrous red surface.
-
Bloodwood is exceptionally durable and resistant to insect attack.
-
Chatoyance is a similarly striking optical quality in which areas of light and dark grain shift and change position depending on the angle of view. The effect is most pronounced in burls and other wavy-grained woods, where abrupt changes in grain direction cause the concentration of reflected light to change dramatically based on the orientation of the surface of groups of wood cells. Chatoyance is most often considered a desirable effect and can be enhanced or diminished during the finishing process.
WEAKNESSES
-
Bloodwood is prized for its vibrant red color, but due to variations in the wood grain, there is limited availability of true blood-red pieces.
-
Bloodwood tends to be difficult to work due to high density and cutting resistance.
BLOODWOOD ALTERNATIVES
PADAUK WOOD
CEDAR WOOD
PURPLE HEART WOOD