 Katalox (Swartzia cubensis)
|
Common Name(s): Katalox, Mexican Ebony Scientific Name: Swartzia spp. (S. cubensis) Distribution: Southern Mexico, Central America, and northern South America Tree Size: 100-130 ft (30-40 m) tall, 2-4 ft (.6-1.2 m) trunk diameter Average Dried Weight: 73 lbs/ft3 (1,175 kg/m3) Hardness: 3,510 lbf (15,620 N) Rupture Strength: 28,330 lbf/in2 (195,400 kPa) Elastic Strength: 3,360,000 lbf/in2 (23,170 MPa) Crushing Strength: 15,970 lbf/in2 (110.1 MPa) Shrinkage: Radial: 3.9%, Tangential: 7.6%, Volumetric: 11.2%, T/R Ratio: 1.9 |
Color/Appearance: Heartwood is a very dark brown to nearly black: sometimes with a red or purple hue. Sapwood is sharply demarcated and is a pale yellowish white.
Grain/Pore: Has very fine pores and a fine texture. The grain is usually straight, but can also be irregular or interlocked. A curly or wavy grain pattern is sometimes seen as well.
Endgrain: Diffuse-porous; medium pores in no specific arrangement; solitary and radial multiples of 2-3; mineral/gum deposits occasionally present; growth rings indistinct; rays not visible without lens; parenchyma reticulate/banded, paratracheal parenchyma aliform (winged), and confluent.
Durability: Varies depending upon species, with conflicting reports ranging from perishable to very durable. Heartwood is usually considered to have a high resistance to decay and termites; though it is susceptible to marine borers.
Workability: Katalox is typically considered difficult to work on account of its high density. The wood has a moderate to high blunting effect on cutters, and if there is interlocked grain present, tearout can occur during planing. Can be troublesome to glue because of its high density and natural oils present.
Scent: Katalox has a mild odor when being worked, somewhat similar to Honduran Rosewood.
Safety: Katalox has been reported to cause respiratory irritation in some individuals. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.
Price/Availability: Likely to be somewhat expensive, on par with other exotic hardwoods such as Wenge or Cocobolo.
Comments: Katalox has exceptional strength properties, and is among the very stiffest and strongest lumber available worldwide. Its dark color makes it a popular substitute for ebony.
Some common uses for Katalox include: inlays, fine furniture and cabinetry, parquet flooring, turnings, and other small specialty items.
None available.
|
Katalox (sanded) |
 Katalox (sealed) |
 Katalox (endgrain) |
 Katalox (endgrain 10x) |
 Katalox (turned) |
January 1st, 2011 at 2:10 pm
I have been importing a wood the locals in Mexico call Ebono it look alot like the photo for Katalox. Do you know if this is a comon name for the wood? I am also looking to buy larger quanities of this wood but have been told it is hard to find in the state of Tamaulipus MX. Do you know where this wood grows in more abundance and is this in the Ebony family? I could submit photos if that would help.
I also use a wood called Limoncillo, any information on this would also be appreciated.
Thanks
Scott Fetgatter
January 3rd, 2011 at 11:02 pm
Scott, I’ve never heard of the name Ebono, and a search came up empty. Ebono does sound similar to the english word “ebony,” and Katalox is sometimes referred to as “Mexican Ebony.” It is, however, not a true ebony, and is not in the Diospyros genus as other ebonies.
I did find a bunch of differing information for Limoncillo, all contradicting each other and using the common name for widely different species and genera of wood. Can’t be of too much help there!