Tamo ash

Overview

Tamo is the trade name for Fraxinus mandshurica, Manchurian ash. Wood Database says it is sold almost exclusively as veneer, most of it exported from Japan, and prized for its "peanut" figure. The solid wood is a light to medium brown ash of moderate hardness. Choose it for figured veneer work on doors, panels and instruments where a distinctive figure justifies the price. For ordinary solid ash see European ash.

Pros

• A distinctive "peanut" figure that is the reason for its reputation.
• Wood Database estimates 1,010 lbf Janka at about 560 kg/m3, so the solid wood is in the normal ash range.
• Established use in drum shells and guitars (Wood Database).
• Wikipedia lists it as Least Concern.

Cons

• Almost exclusively veneer on the market, so solid boards are rare (Wood Database).
• Wood Database calls the price high for an imported veneer.
• Heartwood is perishable (Wood Database), so it is not a first choice outdoors.
• CITES Appendix III for Russian Federation material, so paperwork matters.
• The Janka value is an estimate from specific gravity, not a test.

Variants and subspecies

• Fraxinus mandshurica, the species covered here.
• Wikipedia says it is related to black ash, F. nigra; I did not find comparative data, so treat them as separate woods.
• Do not confuse tamo with American white ash or European ash; those are different species.

Working and finishing

I found no machining or gluing study for tamo. As veneer it is laid up like any other veneer. For solid wood, work as you would a medium-hard ash. Test glue, cuts and finish on offcuts.

Staining and finishing colour

No source I opened tests stain on tamo. The usual presentation is clear finish, showing the figure on a light-to-medium brown ground. If you stain, test on offcuts first.

Sustainability and handling

On 2026-09-30 the Species+ database lists Fraxinus mandshurica in CITES Appendix III, a listing by the Russian Federation effective 24 June 2014 (CoP16 annotation #5), covering logs, sawn wood and veneer sheets. Wikipedia lists it as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. The Lacey Act bars US trade in plants taken in violation of law, with timber covered since the 2008 amendment, and the EU deforestation regulation covers wood and furniture from 30 December 2026 for large and medium operators. Wood Database reports that Fraxinus dust can be irritating: use extraction and a respirator when sanding.

Popular projects

Veneered doors, wall panels and cabinets, drum shells and guitar bodies or tops. Because it is mostly sold as veneer, it is used as a decorative skin rather than as structural wood.

Buying notes

Buy from a veneer supplier who will state the origin and, for Russian-origin sheets, supply CITES paperwork. Ask whether a sheet is sequence-matched if you need consistent figure across a door set. Expect high prices (Wood Database).