Kingwood Scientific Name: Dalbergia cearensis Distribution: Brazil (and occasionally from Mexico) Tree Size: 30-60 ft (10-20 m) tall, less than 2 ft (.6 m) trunk diameter Average Dried Weight: 70 lbs/ft3 (1,130 kg/m3) Basic Specific Gravity: .98 Hardness: 3,880 lbf (17,240 N)* Color/Appearance: Heartwood is a dark purplish or reddish brown with darker black streaks. Sapwood is a pale yellow. Grain/Pore: Pores are medium to small. Grain is usually straight, with a fine texture. Can occasionally have interlocking grain. Durability: Reported as being very durable in decay resistance, and is also resistance to termites. Workability: Tends to be difficult to work due to its high density. Kingwood has a moderate blunting effect on cutters, and tearout can occur during planing if interlocked grain is present. Can be difficult to glue do to an abundance of natural oils and high density. Turns very well and takes a high polish. Smell: Has a mild odor similar to Cocobolo when being worked. Safety: Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, Kingwood has been reported as a sensitizer. Usually most common reactions simply include eye and skin irritation. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information. Price Range: Likely to be very expensive, and seldom available as lumber; Kingwood is most often seen as smaller turning stock, with its cost being on par with other scarce exotics in the Dalbergia genus such as Tulipwood or East Indian Rosewood. Comments: Considered a true rosewood in the Dalbergia genus, Kingwood is among the densest (and probably strongest) of all the rosewoods. There is very little mechanical data available on Kingwood, though given its weight, and its relation to other rosewoods, it’s likely to be extremely stiff, strong, and stable.