 | Common name (English) Snake wood / Letter wood / Amourette / Jicarillo / Breadnut wood Common name (Spanish) Ojoche Scientific name Brosimum alicastrum / Brosium costaricanum / Brosimum guianense Family Moraceae Distribution or habitat Snake wood is found on the west coast of central Mexico and in southern Mexico (Yucatán, Campeche), Guatemala, El Salvador, the Caribbean, and the Amazon. Description Snakewood, is a proud giant of the rainforest. Only one in a hundred trees have dark red hardwood in the center. One look at a highly figured piece of Snakewood and it’s easy to see why it’s called Snakewood: the dramatic specks and splotches bear a close resemblance to the skin of a snake. Such figuring can be so pronounced that it has been compared to the writing of hieroglyphics, and is sometimes called Letterwood. Janka hardness 2360 pounds-force 10490 Newtons Average dried weight 1000 kg/m3 Color and Appearance Snakewood is so called for its characteristic snakeskin patterns. Hardood is typically a reddish brown, with contrasting darker brown or black patches. But mst of the wood is a creamy white color. Workability Being closely related to Bloodwood, Snakewood shares many of the same working properties; namely, the wood is extremely dense, and has a pronounced blunting effect on cutters. Snakewood also tends to be quite brittle and can splinter easily while being worked. Despite the difficulties of working it, Snakewood turns well and finishes to a high polish. Durability Snakewood is reported to be very durable and also resistant to insect attack, though it is seldom used in exterior applications where durability would be an issue. Commercial availability Snakewood is in very limited supply. Not possible to supply by full container load. But offered by us in a regular basis. Export Restrictions None. |
