African mahogany (khaya)

Overview

African mahogany (Khaya spp.) is a pale pink to reddish-brown wood that darkens with age and is the usual affordable stand-in for genuine mahogany. It is easy to work and moderately priced, and quartersawn boards show a ribbon stripe. People pick it for furniture, cabinets, boat parts and guitars.

Pros

• Generally easy to work, and it turns, glues and finishes well.
• Moderate price for an imported hardwood (Wood Database); about $10 a board foot at two US retailers.
• Quartersawn faces show a ribbon-stripe figure.
• Lighter than most substitutes (Janka 850 lbf, about 545 kg/m3).
• Moderate shrinkage (3.4% radial, 5.7% tangential).

Cons

• Tear-out on interlocked grain.
• Only moderately durable, with moderate to poor insect and borer resistance.
• May stain and react with iron fasteners in damp conditions.
• Reported as a sensitizer, with eye and skin irritation the usual reactions.
• All Khaya from Africa is in CITES Appendix II, and the principal species are Vulnerable.

Variants and subspecies

• Khaya ivorensis and K. anthotheca: the two lighter species and the core of the trade.
• K. grandifoliola: middle density, sometimes mixed with the lighter two.
• K. senegalensis (dry zone mahogany): markedly denser and given its own entry by Wood Database.
• Look-alikes: Sapele and Sipo (utile) are different Entandrophragma woods, and Honduran mahogany is the genuine Swietenia. Wood Database says four Khaya species are harvested for the trade.

Working and finishing

Sharp knives and a shear angle reduce tear-out on interlocked grain. Use brass or stainless fixings in damp conditions. It glues, turns and finishes well.

Staining and finishing colour

It takes stain and dye well, and the natural colour ranges from pale pink to deep reddish brown and darkens with age, so a clear finish is common. Match boards for colour before glue-up because the range is wide.

Sustainability and handling

CITES: all Khaya species from African countries are in Appendix II, which covers logs, lumber, veneer, plywood and transformed wood (further-processed wood), but not finished goods (APHIS CITES Timber Species Manual; checked 2026-09-30). IUCN: Wood Database lists each primary species as Vulnerable (population reduction of over 20% in three generations). FSC availability is not verified here. The US Lacey Act makes it unlawful to trade wood taken or exported in breach of the source country's laws (fws.gov/law/lacey-act), so buy from dealers who can name the country and species. If a piece will be exported to or sold in the EU, Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 (the EUDR) requires due-diligence evidence that wood products are deforestation-free and legally produced; check its current application date with your buyer.

Ethical call: acceptable only with documentation and a named country of origin; for an easier conscience choose domestic Black cherry for a red-brown colour. Health: reported sensitizer. The US National Cancer Institute reports strong, consistent associations between wood-dust exposure and cancers of the nasal cavity and sinuses, so use extraction and a respirator when sanding.

Popular projects

Furniture, cabinets, doors, windows, boat trim, guitar bodies and necks, and interior millwork.

Buying notes

Sold as lumber, plywood and veneer. Two retailers list 4/4 at $9.99 (quartersawn) and $10.20 per board foot (September 2026). Ask for the species and country, and expect CITES paperwork for imports.