Mahogany: Genuine or Imposter?

For over 20 years we have imported and manufactured architectural moldings and millwork from genuine mahogany, a traditional wood used in furniture and boat building for centuries. The word Mahogany is a Hindi/Sanskrit word which is made of two basic words Maha+Gony, which means great (maha) qualities (gony).

Most notably, our mahogany has found its way to into Gibson guitars, Stickley furniture and Zeluck windows and doors. Mahogany has a reddish-brown color, which darkens over time, and displays a beautiful reddish sheen when polished. It has excellent workability, and is very durable in both interior and exterior applications.

The initial inquiry is typically followed by, “Well we would prefer mahogany, but would rather pay for a substitute, can you make it look like mahogany?” Our response, “We can make it look like mahogany, but no matter what you do it is a substitute.” If authenticity is required, accept no substitute. On the surface, the appearance is what you seek, but as life wears away and scratches that surface it will continue to expose what’s below.

Much of the first-quality furniture made in the American colonies from the mid 1700s, when the wood first became available to American furniture makers, was made of mahogany. Mahogany is widely used for fine furniture; the rarity of Cuban mahogany restricts its use (likewise Honduran mahogany). Mahogany resists wood rot, which makes it suitable for boat construction and exterior architectural millwork. It is also often used for musical instruments, particularly the backs of guitars.

The mahoganies (the family Meliaceae, the mahogany family):

1. Swietenia macrophylla: This is the mahogany that grows throughout mainland Central and South America. The most common of the many common names for this species is Honduras/Honduran mahogany, but it is also called in many cases by its country of origin, such as Nicaraguan, Mexican, etc. Swietenia macrophylla tends to be slightly more orange than Swietenia mahogoni, but the color and density are affected by the specific conditions in the area of growth, so there are no absolutes.

2. Swietenia mahogoni: This is the mahogany that grows in Florida, Cuba, and the Caribbean area in general. The most common of the common names of this wood is Cuban mahogany. Swietenia mahogoni tends to be a darker reddish brown than Swietenia macrophylla, but the color and density are affected by the specific conditions in the area of growth, so there are no absolutes.

3. Khaya spp.: The Khaya species sold as African mahogany ARE part of the mahogany family, but are separate from the Swietenia species of the Americas. The Khaya species tend to be lighter in color, generally more of a salmon/pink in tint, that the Swietenia species, but the color and density are affected by the specific conditions in the area of growth, so there are no absolutes.

Confusing mahogany terms, “genuine” and “true”:

1. Genuine: The term “genuine mahogany” is used in two conflicting ways: first, and by far the most common usage, is to distinguish Swietenia from Khaya, which to me is a reasonable distinction even if not quite accurate in its implication that Khaya is not a genuine mahogany, but second, it is sometimes used to specifically designate Swietenia macrophylla. Why this is, I do not know. The good news is that this second usage is rare.

2. True: The term “true mahogany” is also used in two conflicting ways, with the first, and by far the most common, usage being the reasonable distinction that a “true” mahogany is one that belongs to the mahogany family (this includes both Swietenia and Khaya species), but the second is to distinguish Swietenia (as “true”) from Khaya, which to my mind is not helpful terminology in its implication that Khaya is not a true mahogany, but I don’t get to make the rules, I just do my best to figure them out and report them. As with “genuine”, the second, less helpful, usage is rare.

There are a number of imposter woods that have mahogany in their names but generally have nothing to do with mahogany. A few of the more widely known such names are:

1. “Philippine mahogany”: This is a blanket name used for dozens of species (primarily Shoria species such as meranti), none of which are related to the mahogany family.

2. “Santos mahogany”: This is Myroxylong balsamum of the family Leguminosae (the legume family), totally unrelated to mahogany.

3. “Royal mahogany”: This is a industry marketing term for a wood that has absolutely nothing to do with mahogany (this kind of play on words is typical of the mass marketed manufacturing industry, which also calls curupay by the grandiose name “Patagonian rosewood” even though it is totally unrelated to rosewood).