Identifying wood

[jssmith3]

Hi everyone, I purchased some blanks called "Fiddleback Okoume" a long time ago on ebay and I have not been able to find it in my Useful Woods of the World and wanted to know where it comes from and if it has another name. Has anyone heard of this wood and can direct me to info on it?
Thank you

Janet

 

[JimGo]

Well, the "fiddleback" part refers to the figuring in the wood. Okoume is also known as West African Mahogany; searching under that name may give you more info.

Here's a link that is supposed to have more info on Okoume; I couldn't open the file for some reason. From what I can see, Okoume apparently comes from Gabon.

www.uktradeinfo.com/Codes/classguides/wood.pdf

 

[JimGo]

Here's the text of the Okoume description from that PDF file:
OKOUME - This is obtained almost exclusively from the forests of Gabon. This a soft
wood salmon-pink in colour with a fibrous texture and an irregular grain that resembles a
light mahogany. The tree produces well-formed cylindrical logs suitable for slicing and
peeling and is chiefly used in the manufacture of veneer sheet.

 

[jssmith3]

Thank you Jim, I don't like to turn anything without knowing if its toxic or causes problems at all since I have asthma. I always were a mask anyway but will use a fan to keep the shavings or dust from blowing in my direction at all when I turn something like mahogany.
Thanks again,
Janet