Material knowledge

Mahogany in intarsia and veneer work

Mahogany brings a warm red-brown into intarsia, darker than oak, redder than walnut and softer than wenge. Next to light ash it makes a contrast that is strong and still stays warm. The name itself calls for care, though: "mahogany" is above all a trade name.

Side of a FOCUS pen holder in mahogany with a horizontal striped figure — Mahogany on a FOCUS box: a warm red-brown and a striped figure whose light and dark bands change with the fall of the light.

What "mahogany" is

Genuine mahogany is the wood of the genus Swietenia from Central and South America. For centuries it was the precious wood of European furniture making, and today it has become rare through protection of the species and overexploitation; big-leaf mahogany is listed under CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, and is traded only under control.

In the trade the name has therefore spread to related woods. African khaya and sapele and sipo from the genus Entandrophragma are also sold as mahogany. All belong to the same plant family, have a similar warm red-brown and often a striped figure. But they differ in density, tone, figure and how cleanly they cut and sand. On a single sheet of veneer, even experts cannot always tell them apart with certainty.

Where the Reihax mahogany comes from

The Reihax mahogany veneer comes from a workshop that closed down. It was sold as a job lot and as mahogany, without a botanical name. Which of the species above it is cannot therefore be proven, and this page does not claim it.

What can be shown is how it behaves in the finished piece: the colour, the striped figure and the effect next to other woods. Everything else on this page rests on that. How to check veneer of unknown origin is described in judging veneer quality. For an intarsia, what counts in the end is what the veneer does in the pattern, not the name on the delivery note.

Colour, lightness and colour temperature

Mahogany is a warm, reddish brown. In lightness it lies close to walnut and well above wenge; in colour temperature it is the warmest of all the Reihax woods. Where walnut looks more like chocolate, mahogany has a clear share of red.

The tone is not stable. Freshly sanded, mahogany looks lighter and rosier; in the light it darkens and gets deeper. For planning that means a contrast with a light wood tends to get stronger over time rather than weaker. If you set mahogany next to another warm wood, on the other hand, expect the difference to shrink.

Striped figure and the effect of light

Many mahogany veneers show a striped figure: parallel light and dark bands along the fibre. It comes from interlocked grain, in which the fibres grow in a slightly different direction from year to year. In a quarter cut these layers of fibre meet the surface alternately and reflect the light differently.

The result is a shimmer that changes with the angle of view: a band that was light a moment ago looks dark from another direction. In an intarsia that is a strong means, because it keeps a mahogany area lively without bringing a restless figure. How the cut decides the figure is explained in types of veneer and cuts.

Mahogany as a contrast partner

Mahogany is at its strongest next to a light wood. With ash it creates a double tension: light against dark and at the same time cool against warm. Unlike wenge with ash, the contrast does not look graphically hard, but warm and homely.

Two FOCUS pen holders: on the left ash with a cell pattern in mahogany, on the right mahogany with a cell pattern in ash — The same cell pattern twice: on the left mahogany as the drawing on light ash, on the right ash as the drawing on mahogany. The role of the wood reverses, and so does the character of the object.

Next to walnut the difference in lightness is small, and next to wenge it stays dark against dark. Such pairings look subdued and refined, but carry a pattern only up close. They need other means, such as changing grain directions or a light third tone. How to judge pairings in principle is covered in contrast and colour temperature.

Working it as veneer

Mahogany cuts and fits well as veneer. Its pores are fine to medium and evenly spread, and the edges stay clean with a sharp knife. Dark sanding dust is less critical than with wenge, but it can travel into the open pores of a light neighbour such as ash; sanding passes at such joints should therefore be done with clean paper and with extraction.

Where the striped figure is strong, the interlocked grain calls for attention: because the fibres run alternately in different directions, sanding or scraping against the fibre tears out more easily. Fine grits and little pressure keep the surface calm (sanding veneer).

Finish

Every finish deepens the red in mahogany. Oil and hard-wax oil make the wood richer and warmer and emphasise the striped figure. Shellac is the classic finish for mahogany and brings out the depth familiar from old furniture (shellac). Reihax finishes mahogany like every wood with hard-wax oil in a satin sheen. Because mahogany darkens anyway, the effect of a finish should always be checked on a sample, especially when a light partner such as ash is in the same piece.

THINK BIGGER pen holder in ash with waves and lettering in mahogany — THINK BIGGER in ash/mahogany: the mahogany waves stay warm and readable even next to the very light ash.

How Reihax uses mahogany

Reihax uses mahogany above all as a warm dark partner to ash. On THINK BIGGER ash/mahogany it carries the waves and the lettering on light ash. On FOCUS the pairing comes both ways: ash/mahogany with a dark drawing on a light ground and mahogany/ash with a light drawing on a dark ground.

FOCUS pen holder in mahogany with inlaid lettering in ash — FOCUS in mahogany/ash: mahogany as a calm, warm surface, with the light ash drawing the lettering and pattern.

The reason for this choice is the same as for wenge with oak or walnut with ash: a pairing that looks powerful and still stays warm. Mahogany brings a tone that none of the other woods has, and so widens the palette with a reddish, warm voice.

Profile: mahogany

The same profile appears on every wood species page, so that the woods can be compared directly.

Species: trade name mahogany; the botanical species of the Reihax veneer is not proven (Swietenia, Khaya or Entandrophragma are possible).
Colour temperature: warm, reddish brown; the warmest of the Reihax woods.
Lightness: medium to medium dark, about like walnut; darkens in the light.
Pores: fine to medium, evenly spread.
Movement of the figure: mostly straight, often with a striped figure from interlocked grain.
Role in contrast: a warm dark partner for light woods, especially ash; subdued next to walnut and wenge.
Behaviour as veneer: cuts and fits well; with a strong striped figure, risk of tear-out against the fibre.
Response to finish: every finish deepens the red; shellac the classic choice for depth.
Use at Reihax: THINK BIGGER ash/mahogany, FOCUS ash/mahogany and mahogany/ash.

Frequently asked questions

Is all mahogany the same?

No. Genuine mahogany comes from the genus Swietenia in Central and South America. But related woods are also sold as mahogany, such as African khaya or sapele and sipo from the genus Entandrophragma. They look similar in colour and figure, but differ in density, figure and behaviour.

Which mahogany does Reihax use?

We do not know exactly. The Reihax mahogany veneer comes from a workshop that closed down and was sold as mahogany, without a botanical name. So this page describes what can be seen in the veneer itself and names no species that cannot be proven.

Why does mahogany get darker over time?

Light changes substances in the wood. Mahogany darkens as a result and becomes a deeper red-brown; freshly sanded surfaces look lighter and rosier than a piece that has stood in the light for a few months. That is part of the character of the wood and should be allowed for when planning contrasts.

Which woods go with mahogany?

Mahogany works most strongly next to light woods such as ash or maple: the warm red-brown gets a clear counterpart. Next to walnut the difference in lightness is small, and next to wenge it remains a pairing of two dark woods. Both look subdued and need other means, such as different grain directions.