COCOBOLO encyclopedia topics

Cocobolo is a hardwood from Central America yielded by two to four closely related species of the genus Dalbergia. The best known and probably the species contributing most of the wood in the trade is Dalbergia retusa, a fair-sized tree, reported to reach 20-25 m in height. Because of its great beauty and high value, this species has been heavily exploited and the tree is now in danger of extinction outside of national parks, reserves and plantations.

Cocobolo is a very beautiful wood, known to change color after being cut. The heartwood is typically orange or reddish-brown in color, often with a figuring of darker irregular traces weaving through the wood. The sapwood is a creamy yellow and contrasts sharply with the heartwood. It is fine textured and oily in look and feel, and stands up well to repeated handling and exposure to water. The wood is very hard, and is easily machined, although due to the abundance of natural oils, the wood tends to clog abrasives and fine-toothed saw blades. Like other very hard, very dense tropical woods, Cocobolo can be brittle. A common use is in gun grips and knife handles. Cocobolo is also quite dense, and even a large block of the cut wood will produce a clear musical tone if struck. Due to its density and hardness, Cocobolo can be polished to a lustrous, glassy finish.

Only relatively small amounts of this prized wood reach the world market and it is expensive. Cocobolo is highly favored for fine inlay work for custom high-end pool cues, brush backs, knife handles, musical instruments (especially guitars and basses, Alembic Inc consider Cocobolo to be their house wood and many famous players such as Stanley Clarke use such basses; but also some woodwind instruments such as clarinets and oboes have been successfully made using Cocobolo instead of the more usual Grenadilla black wood), pistol grips, decorative and figured veneers, bowls, jewelry boxes, and other expensive specialty items. It is also used in making luxury pens, and has been used as a ballast wood in ships. Some Cocobolo wood has a specific gravity of over 1.0, hence it will sink in water. Care must be used when cutting Cocobolo, as the wood's oils can induce allergic reactions if inhaled or exposed to unprotected skin and eyes. A dust collection system, coupled with the use of personal protective equipment such as respirators, is highly recommended when machining this wood.