Thread: Timber identification help needed

I can't tell you what it is, but it's not teak. Teak is not too hard or heavy. That end grain looks pretty distinctive so someone here more knowledgeable than me should be able to assist you. Good luck.

Originally Posted by aldav

I can't tell you what it is, but it's not teak. Teak is not too hard or heavy. That end grain looks pretty distinctive so someone here more knowledgeable than me should be able to assist you. Good luck.

Thanks Aldav, I think I solved it, Jarrah perhaps? Jarrah | The Wood Database - Lumber Identification (Hardwood)

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I would expect it to most likely be a timber native to Southern Africa and although it shows some characteristics in common with eucalypts I'd be pretty doubtful about it being Jarrah. Eucalypts are notoriously difficult to identify without samples of bark, leaves etc. Sorry, not much help I know.

Believe it or not, but that end grain looks like some merbau/kwila that I have.

Agreed with Aldav, it's not teak.

Originally Posted by cava

Believe it or not, but that end grain looks like some merbau/kwila that I have.

Agreed with Aldav, it's not teak.

+1 Kwila (that is also known as Johnstone River Teak and a heap of other names)

Originally Posted by cava

Believe it or not, but that end grain looks like some merbau/kwila that I have.

Agreed with Aldav, it's not teak.

Thanks cava. I knew it looked familiar.

You sure he didn't say South America? That stuff looks remarkably similar to Cumaru/Brazilian teak/Brown Ebony or Jatoba/Brazilian Cherry. Both are fairly common in the hardwood flooring industry.. Very hard, very dense.

Does Kwila not usually have those little yellow specs in the face grain?

I've read online that Jarrah even though native to Australia has/is been grown in plantations in South Africa as well and is commonly used in the railway industry for railway sleepers.

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Originally Posted by botesmj1

Does Kwila not usually have those little yellow specs in the face grain?

Depending on the pieces, I have both yellow specs and none.

This is an interesting topic for me so excuse me for persisting, have any of you heard of or tried the splinter burn test as a method for identifying timber?


https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-...er-trees/kwila

https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-...r-trees/jarrah

D.A.F. claims that Kwila burns to white ash where as Jarrah burns to charcoal without any Ash.

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Originally Posted by botesmj1

This is an interesting topic for me so excuse me for persisting, have any of you heard of or tried the splinter burn test as a method for identifying timber?


https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-...er-trees/kwila

https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-...r-trees/jarrah

D.A.F. claims that Kwila burns to white ash where as Jarrah burns to charcoal without any Ash.

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Tested 2 pieces this morning. A known piece of Kwila Merbau and the suspected Jarrah. They definitely burn differently and support the comments on D.A.F website. Thanks for the advice and inputs guys, I'm locking in Jarrah.


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Originally Posted by cava

Believe it or not, but that end grain looks like some merbau/kwila that I have.

Agreed with Aldav, it's not teak.

Agree with you Cava, it looks like merbau / kwila .

So a shaving from wood would allow some of the yellow pigment (as seen in in pores) to be extracted eg with Meth Spirits. The yellowish extract should glow under UV or fluoresce in sunlight. There are other tests for merbau. The extract from rain washing it out will stain concrete

Euge