Thread: Fake Jarrah and Marri

The problem is that names like 'Pacific Maple', 'Tasmanian Oak/Victorian Ash', 'Pacific Jarrah' and so on are only marketing or trade names and don't have any official recognition - they are meant to describe the timber by its qualities (colour, density or whatever) and not actual source - in the same way, Canola oil is the marketing name for oil pressed from rapeseed, as they didn't think Rapeseed oil would have much shelf appeal.

Hi Derek

over this side, "Pacific Maple" used to be the marketing term for several species endemic to Fiji and the Western Pacific -- and most importantly, it was usually stated as being sourced from Fiji.

You may recall as I have bought this up before.
This all reminds me what was going on back in the 60ies and 70ies, in WA large quantities of Jarrah veneered plywood was being manufactured and supplied by one company ( no names mentioned). This company was the only company in Australia had the facilities to sliced Jarrah into veneers. Large quantities of this plywood wood was extensively used in office partitions mainly demountable office partitions. No one could get a leg in in the supply of Jarrah veneer plywood. Then out of the blue a name of veneer came onto the market to be used as a substitute for Jarrah and would be supplied by competing plywood suppliers. The name of the veneer was called Toog, I believe it may have been manufactured and shipped in from either Malaisia or Taiwan.
There is actually a timber called Toog I think it comes from South East Asia I believe it is a Philippine timber ( Philippine Rosewood) but in this case the timber actually came from WA. The funny thing about the lengths of the plywood was it so happened to match the length of a narrow gauge Jarrah rail sleeper approx 7'4'' or there about. What was happening some bright spark saw a way of over coming one company having the monopoly on supply of Jarrah plywood .
By exporting Jarrah sleepers in large quantities to South East Asia,and then slicing the lengths into veneers they had a ready supply of Jarrah veneer but under a different name. The only problem was there was large variation in the range of the colour and grain of the veneer.
The company I worked for was a large user of Jarrah for partitions, in fact back then we would have been one of the largest manufactures of demountable office partitioning in WA. If we used Toog ( Jarrah) it was a real head ache as no one sheet would match the other and it was most difficult to obtain a blend.
Way back then there was a Fed Politician who had his city office all fitted out with Toog venner partitions (sorry I mean Jarrah).
As far as I know I don't think Toog is on the market in Aust, unless it is now called Pacific Jarrah?????? Check Toog by Googling.
And now you see why the demise of Australian Manufacturing Industries and particular the damage to the availability of Jarrah sawn logs into the future.
Regards
Mac

Hi Phully,

I pressed a manufacturer to tell me what species their 'Pacific Jarrah' was and the evasive, sheepish stuttering soon led me to the conclusion that it was just a marketing con.

Yes it was Malaysian rain forest timber, looked very similar to Jarrah. I suspect, (read as guess), that 'Pacific Jarrah' is a new, (recent years) invention to cash in on the popularity of Jarrah.

Am sure the average furniture buyer would not question the 'Pacific' in front of the word Jarrah.

Oh, yes, after more questions it was revealed that 'no, it is not solid timber, it is veneer'. After it was presented as solid timber. Some people are just dodgy. If it was not a con why not just use the common Malaysian timber name, as a lot of places do.

Buyer beware.

Cheers
Pops

Hi Guys

More on the Pacific Jarrah and Pacific Marri thing . . .

Pacific Jarrah is simply a marketing name - as most of you have surmised.
It is in fact a timber called Manilkara bidentata ( say that after a few coldies . .) imported from South America by Queensland company Matthei Timbers who deny that that its called Pacific Jarrah simply to cash in on the reputation of Western Australian Jarrah - that Pacific Jarrah is a trade name used to market the product even though it has few of the qualities and characteristics of Jarrah . . .

Pacific Marri on the other hand is as yet and unknown to me - other than the sales man at one of the stores flogging it told me it was an Eastern States variety of Marri and is a cross between Pine and Tassie oak but was in fact real Marri - even though Marii only grows in Western Australia . . .. !

See, easy - call it whatever you like, mislead the punters to whatever degree you like - as long as you are floggin product and making a quid ( lots of quids in fact . . .)

Sometimes I dont know why I bothered chopping off a finger last year in my efforts to try and make fair dinkum, honest, solid native Australian hardwood furniture . .. .

Phully

Originally Posted by derekcohen

I recall buying several solid raised panel (entry) doors (for internal use) a dozen or so years ago for home that were "pacific maple". These were somewhat the colour of maple but, looking at the grain now, it does not look like any maple I know.
Regards from Perth

Derek

Good Morning Derek

Pacific maple is a marketing name for a mixed bag of timbers of the shorea spp out of PNG, Solomons, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philipnes, etc. They are variously also marketed as meranti, taun, lauan, filipines mahogany, etc.

It is when salesmen start saying that pacific maple is the same as queensland maple or european maple that one should lose interest.

Almost 30 years since I worked in the tropical timber industry, but the old grey matter still can retrieve some data!

Cheers

Graeme

Marketing names or marketing scams?

We were quoted on some 'Forest Red Decking' timber, supposed to be from WA.

Everything I can find with Google says the Forest Red Decking is either Red Iron Bark or Forest Red Gum AKA Qld Blue Gum.... neither of which grow in WA.

Hi All,

I just thought the below might clear up some confusion, below are some facts

1. The name JI does not represent or does it mean Jamal Islamia. It is in fact a combination of too West Australians that formed and Australian made furniture business and which employs about 100 West Australians.
2. Pacific Marri is 4 blends of Victorian Eucalyptus timbers, no different to Tasmanian Oak.
3. It is not grown in Malaysia. It is 100% Australian native timber
4. It is not pine. It is a hardwood

Cheers

Originally Posted by Larry1

Hi All,

I just thought the below might clear up some confusion, below are some facts

1. The name JI does not represent or does it mean Jamal Islamia. It is in fact a combination of too West Australians that formed and Australian made furniture business and which employs about 100 West Australians.
2. Pacific Marri is 4 blends of Victorian Eucalyptus timbers, no different to Tasmanian Oak.
3. It is not grown in Malaysia. It is 100% Australian native timber
4. It is not pine. It is a hardwood

Cheers

Pretty much Larry
JI is in fact Jamel International - the off shore manufacturing division of Jamel Industries where they make the stuff. The Name Jamel is a combination of two names. ( the Jamia Islamia thing was just a gag)

I Have found out that Pacific Marri is in fact largely Wormy Chestnut - indeed an Australian Eucalypt hardwood . . but not Marri as it is sold as.
To sell it as Marri is a misrepresentaion of fact.
But as you - and others have said - just like Tassie Oak.

My real issue is with the sales people that sell it as Eastern States Marri - and tell peolpe that is in fact real Marri - as happened to me the other day in Bunbury where I was thrown out of a store because the owner didn't like me disputing the fact that it was not real Marri but a trade named timber - and I only went in there to look at some kitchen ware ....

Appreciate your input

Phil

Originally Posted by Master Splinter

Canola oil is the marketing name for oil pressed from rapeseed, as they didn't think Rapeseed oil would have much shelf appeal.

As I understand it, Canola is a variety of rapeseed developed in Canada, and so Canada Oil.