MAHOGANY

 Mahogany, also known as Honduras mahogany is a tropical hardwood indigenous to South America,
Central America and Africa. There are many different grades and species sold under this name, which vary widely in quality and price. Mahogany which comes from the Caribbean is thought to be the hardest, strongest and best quality. Logs from Africa, though highly figured, are of slightly lesser quality. Philippine mahogany has a similar color, but is not really mahogany at all. It is a much less valuable wood, being less strong, not as durable or as beautiful when finished.

 Mahogany is strong, with a uniform pore structure and poorly defined annual rings. It has a reddish
- brown color and may display stripe, ribbon, broken stripe, rope, ripple, mottle, fiddleback or blister figures.Crotch mahogany figures are widely used and greatly valued. Mahogany is an excellent carving wood and finishes well.Mahogany is used extensively in the crafting of Georgian, Empire and Federal reproduction furniture. Mahogany is also used in styles ranging from Victorian furniture reproductions to Contemporary.

HICKORY

 There are 15 species of hickory in the eastern United States, eight of which are commercially important.

Properties: Hickory is one of the heaviest and hardest woods available. Pecan is a species of hickory sometimes
 used in furniture. It has a close grain without much figure.

Uses: Wood from the hickory is used for structural parts, especially where strength and thinness are required.
 Decorative hickory veneers are also commonly used.