Collection: Padauk

African Padauk (Pterocarpus soyauxii) is one of Africa’s most distinctive and sought-after hardwoods, prized for its extraordinary color, durability, stability, and workability. Native to the tropical forests of Central and West Africa, including Cameroon, Gabon, Nigeria, the Congo region, and Angola, these impressive trees can reach 100–130 feet tall with trunks several feet in diameter—making exceptionally large boards and slabs possible. Freshly cut African Padauk is famous for its brilliant vermillion to reddish-orange heartwood, sometimes accented by darker streaks and veining. With exposure to light and air, the color gradually deepens, moving from vivid orange-red toward a rich reddish brown, purple-brown, or rosewood-like color. The wood has a naturally lustrous appearance and a coarse, open texture, with grain ranging from straight to interlocked. Interlocked grain can produce beautiful ribbon-like effects while adding some challenge during machining. With a specific gravity of approximately 0.75 and a Janka hardness of about 1,970 lbf, Padauk is a substantial, hard-wearing wood that offers an excellent combination of strength and stability. It is generally easy to work with both hand and power tools, turns beautifully, glues well, holds screws securely, and takes a fine finish. Sharp tooling is recommended, particularly when working with interlocked grain, where tearout can occasionally occur. Its large open pores can be filled when a perfectly smooth, glass-like finish is desired. Padauk is also naturally very durable and highly resistant to decay and termites, making it suitable for furniture, cabinetry, flooring, carving, turning, decorative veneer, musical instruments, and other demanding projects. Its combination of strength, stability, attractive figure, and resonance has made it especially popular for guitars and other stringed instruments, where it is often used as an alternative to Indian Rosewood for backs and sides. Padauk also has a remarkable cultural history. Known by names including camwood and barwood, the tree has traditionally been valued throughout parts of Central and West Africa not only for its timber but also for its brilliant red dye. The wood has also been prized by African craftspeople for drums because of its reputed resonance. African Pterocarpus species are regulated under CITES Appendix II, making legal, documented sourcing an important part of responsible international trade. Our carefully sourced African Padauk offers woodworkers a remarkable combination of dramatic color, impressive size, durability, stability, and history—truly a wood that stands out in everything from fine furniture and musical instruments to turning and statement pieces. Please note that we cannot ship this wood outside of the USA.