Exotic Hardwoods of Rhode Island

   Merbau

Description:  Merbau is medium brown colored wood with reddish/orange highlights with a course graining. Many pieces exhibit yellow "flecking" in the pores.

Common Name:  Merbau

Country of Origin:All over Sumatra, Borneo and Celebes, West Java, Central Java, Moluccas, East Nusa Tenggara, Papua(Irian Jaya).

Color Range:  Merbau comes in a fairly wide range of color variability, from light browns to medium browns to dark browns. Many pieces will have a yellow dust in the pores which show up as gold "flecking" when finished. Merbau undergoes a medium to large degree of color change, with the muting of the color variation from when fresh milled and with darkening over time to deeper orangey brown color.

Botanical name:  Intsia, spp

Other Names:  Mirabow, Moluccan iron-wood

Hardness:  1925 as compared to: Red oak- 1260 & N maple- 1450


Exotic Hardwoods of Rhode Island