Panga Panga

Panga Panga (Millettia stuhlmannii)

Common Name(s): Panga Panga

Scientific Name: Millettia stuhlmannii

Distribution: Africa (Congo, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zimbabwe)

Tree Size: 60-90 ft (18-27 m) tall, 3-4 ft (1-1.2 m) trunk diameter

Average Dried Weight: 50 lbs/ft³ (800 kg/m³)

Basic Specific Gravity: .65

Hardness: 1,660 lb_f (7,380 N)

Rupture Strength: 14,700 lb_f/in² (101,400 kPa)

Elastic Strength: 1,881,000 lb_f/in² (13,000 MPa)

Crushing Strength: 11,020 lb_f/in² (76.0 MPa)

Shrinkage: Radial: 3.1%, Tangential: 5.8%, Volumetric: 8.9%, T/R Ratio: 1.9

Color/Appearance: Heartwood is a very dark brown with black streaks. But unlike most other woods, Panga Panga is reported to become lighter when exposed to light.

Grain/Pore: Has a straight grain and a coarse texture. Panga Panga also has very large pores that can present a challenge to fill if a perfectly smooth/leveled finish is desired.

Endgrain: Diffuse-porous; large pores in no specific arrangement; solitary and radial multiples of 2-3; brown or yellow deposits occasionally present; growth rings distinct; rays not visible without lens; parenchyma aliform to confluent, with wide bands of parenchyma (seemingly marginal) typically as thick as the pores.

Durability: Very durable, and resistant to termite attack.

Workability: Can be difficult to work with hand and power tools. Blunts tool edges. Can sand unevenly due to differences in density between light and dark areas. Can easily get splinters when handling this wood, which tend to go septic (see safety information below).

Scent: Panga Panga has a faint, slightly bitter scent when being worked.

Safety: Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, breathing Wenge wood dust (closely related to Panga Panga) has been reported to cause central nervous system effects, irritation of the skin and eyes, and is a sensitizer. Also, Wenge splinters tend to take longer to heal and are more likely to go septic (get infected) than splinters from other woods. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.

Price/Availability: Tends to be on the high side, close to other exotic tropical hardwoods such as Cocobolo or Zebrawood.

Comments: Panga Panga is very similar in working properties to Wenge; though on average it tends to have a slightly lighter density and lower strength properties than Wenge.

Panga Panga and Wenge can both be dark enough to be used as substitutes for ebony.