J. Gibson Mcilvain Co. Pages - African Mahogany

Khaya ivorensis

African Mahogany is the common name for a multitude of species variants, the two most common of which are Khaya ivorensis and Khaya senegalensis.

At J. Gibson McIlvain, we only stock a couple of these species, and we keep close track of which is which so we can supply consistency in color, grain, and workability to our customers. Regardless, we have cultivated relationships with mills in Africa to ensure we can supply the highest quality African Mahogany wood.

Although it shares a similar color with Genuine Mahogany (a somewhat lighter pink), its other characteristics are very different. African Mahogany is a pale reddish-brown color with a straight, interlocking grain, and the species is about 50% harder than most Mahogany woods.

This variegated grain can produce beautiful dark and light bands of color when finished. The range is vast with regions all over the African continent producing species variants that all get lumped under the trade name “African Mahogany.” This can cause confusion and concern when a single load of supposedly the same species is actually conglomerated from 3 or 4 species. In the end the customer can have a different experience from one board to the next.

We have worked hard with our African mills to isolate these species and buy unmixed containers of only the high quality species. The higher the quality of the African Mahogany, the better it will machine and finish, so our standards are very strict regarding the lumber we import.