Tropical wood suitable for making knife blades and handles

Yellow-brown to reddish-brown wood (sometimes called Amazoué) with grey-purple veins. It is a valuable material obtained from Ovangkol, a tropical tree growing mostly in West Africa. You won't confuse Ovangkol with European wood due to its colourful pattern. However, it is often confused with American Rosewood, one of the most expensive woods ever. The tree reaches a height of 30-40 m and a trunk diameter of around 70 cm, the bar-shaped roots often forming a strong base. The sapwood is yellow-grey, 4 to 10 cm wide (not used). The prized heartwood is yellow to dark brown, with dark grey-purple veining in narrow intervals (about 5 to 10 mm). It is a hardwood with an average weight of about 800 kg/m³.