LEOPARD WOOD

Pretty, but tough to tame

- Ken Burton

Leopard wood is another treasure from the rainforest. It’s a heavy, dark reddish-brown wood marked with the speckled or lacy figure. This figure comes from the trees’ wide medullary rays. All trees have these rays that radiate from the central pith; they have to do with the way trees store nutrients. In leopard wood, these rays happen to be particularly distinct.

You can see them most clearly in the end grain where they appear as light brown or gray lines. Several other wood species display similar figure including lacewood, and the Australian native silky oak (which is also sold as leopard wood on occasion). Of the three, leopard wood (Roupala montana or R. brasiliense) is the darkest and heaviest.

Where the wood comes from

The trees grow throughout Central and northern South America. At full maturity, they can reach 100 feet in height and close to 3 feet in diameter. Leopardwood is widely available through exotic wood dealers. As of this writing, it is not on either the CITES list or the IUCN Red List as being endangered.

History in woodworking

Leopardwood is a relative newcomer to the woodworking scene. While our woodworking ancestors seem to have overlooked it, contemporary makers have incorporated the bespeckled boards into everything from boxes and desktops to electric guitar bodies. It is also available as a veneer on plywood. These sheets have the type of uniform yet exotic patterns that architects often specify for boardroom paneling and cabinetry.

Selecting the best stock