Learn About Exotic Woods

What Does Janka Hardness Mean, and Why Does It Matter for Woodworkers?

What Does Janka Hardness Mean, and Why Does It Matter for Woodworkers?

The Janka hardness test can be conducted to find out how much force needs to be exerted to push a ball of steel into the wood. Some hardness figures are...

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Cedar Balls: The Natural Way to Protect Clothes From Moths

Cedar Balls: The Natural Way to Protect Clothes From Moths

If there is any time that you have brought out your favorite sweater after a long while to wear and discovered it full of holes, then you know why a...

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Guitar Saddles, Nuts, and Bridge Pins Explained: A Buying Guide for Luthiers

Guitar Saddles, Nuts, and Bridge Pins Explained: A Buying Guide for Luthiers

Saddle, nut, and bridge pin are the three tiny components that play a critical role in determining the tone, sustain, and string action of an acoustic guitar. Bone is the...

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Koa Wood The Complete Guide for Luthiers and Woodworkers

Koa Wood: The Complete Guide for Luthiers and Woodworkers

Koa (Acacia koa) is an exquisite type of Hawaiian wood that is very popular amongst guitar luthiers for its well-balanced and beautiful tones as well as unique curly grain. This...

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Mahogany vs. Rosewood Back and Sides A Luthier’s Comparison

Mahogany vs. Rosewood Back and Sides: A Luthier’s Comparison

The mahogany wood gives a warm and mid forward sound which is easy to work on and suitable for finger style and folk instruments. On the other hand, rosewood gives...

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Quartersawn vs flat-sawn tonewoods: why the cut matters for acoustic guitar builds

Quartersawn vs flat-sawn tonewoods: why the cut matters for acoustic guitar builds

Quartersawn tonewoods are cut with their growth rings running near perpendicular to the face of the board. This results in the straighter grain lines/truer dimensional stability/more rigid widthwise of Quartersawn...

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Why Does Osage Orange Wood Change Color Over Time?

Why Does Osage Orange Wood Change Color Over Time?

Osage Orange wood kinda changes color because of a natural photochemical reaction like UV light plus oxygen, that combo triggers oxidation of the pigment compounds in it, most notably maclura...

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Slotted vs. Unslotted Fingerboards: Which Should You Order for Your Build?

Slotted vs. Unslotted Fingerboards: Which Should You Order for Your Build?

A slotted fingerboard is also called a pre-slotted fretboard and these have fret slots cut to a certain scale length. These will save you time and guarantee that you can...

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Understanding Figured Wood: Curl, Quilt, Birdseye & Flame Explained

Understanding Figured Wood: Curl, Quilt, Birdseye & Flame Explained

What Is Figured Wood? Figured wood shows cool patterns in hardwood grain, like curl, quilt, birdseye, and flame. It happens naturally because of weird growing stuff, abnormal fiber growth, stress,...

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Inspired by Nature: How Exotic Wood Zone Keeps Forests Alive - World Environment Day Exotic Wood Zone

Inspired by Nature: How Exotic Wood Zone Keeps Forests Alive - World Environment Day

Every piece of wood tells a story and on World Environment Day, Exotic Wood Zone makes sure that story doesn't end with a disappearing forest. As a Missouri-based hardwood supplier,...

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