Characteristics: Padauk is an exotic and imported hardwood that comes in both in a strip or a mottled effect. An eye catching wood, the color varies from a rich crimson or brick red, to reddish-purple streaks, to bright-orange. It darkens over time to dark reddish-brown. The interlocked grain produces the striped figure on quartered surfaces. The texture is medium to coarse. Common Uses: Padauk is used for joinery - turnery - furniture - inlay - flooring - knife handles - veneer and tool handles. Working Properties: The wood can be worked well with hand tools and can be machined to a fine surface finish. The wood glues well. Pre-bore for fasteners. It polishes very well and an excellent finish is obtainable. When worked, Padauk’s dust is fine and airborne. Proper personal protective equipment is advised! Common Name: Padauk, Andaman (vermilion) Tree is Native To: The Andaman Islands, a group of islands in the Bay of Bengal about 650 miles south east of Calcutta. Botanical Classification: Pterocarpus dalbergiodes Family: Leguminosae Average Dried Weight: 42 lb/ft. Average Specific Gravity: .65