Bloodwood. Purpleheart. Zebrawood. Who named these things?
Walk our racks and you'll notice the names read like a fantasy novel. Bloodwood is actually blood-red. Zebrawood actually has stripes. Purpleheart is actually purple, and no, we didn't dye it.
Here's every species we carry, A to Z, with the short version of what each one is and what it's good for. All lumber is sold by the board foot. If a species has you curious, come in and hold a board. That usually settles it.
A
Alder (domestic) -The lightweight of the domestic rack. Soft honey-brown color, easy on your tools and takes stain like a champ. We carry it two ways: Knotty for character and Superior for clean, clear boards. A favorite for cabinet doors and anyone who wants the furniture look without the furniture fight.
Aromatic Cedar (domestic) -The one you can identify with your eyes closed. That closet smell comes from natural oils that also repel moths, which is why it's lined hope chests and closets for generations. Reddish heartwood streaked with cream.
Ash (domestic) - Baseball bats and axe handles. Ash is strong, springy and shock-resistant with a bold, open grain that looks great under a clear finish. If you like the look of oak but want something a little lighter in color and weight, start here.
B
Birch (domestic) - Pale, fine-grained and tough. Birch machines cleanly and finishes smooth, which makes it a quiet workhorse for furniture, trim and shop projects that need to hold up.
Black Limba (import) - Out of West Africa. Light golden body with dramatic black streaks, which is why guitar builders can't leave it alone. Light enough to carve, striking enough to leave natural.
Bloodwood (import) - Named honestly. Deep crimson red, dense and heavy out of South America. It holds its color better than most red woods and adds a stripe of drama to cutting boards and accent work.
Bocote (import) - Mexican wood with wild, swirling grain: yellow-brown body, near-black lines and the occasional pattern that looks like an eye staring back at you. No two boards are remotely alike. Pens, knife handles and statement pieces.
Bubinga (import) - Sometimes called African rosewood. Rich reddish-brown, occasionally with a shimmering figure, and strong enough for anything you can dream up. A serious wood for serious pieces.
C
Canarywood (import) - The homepage celebrity. Bright yellow, orange, red and purple in one South American board, with grain that runs from straight to wild. Fine texture, good natural luster and a serving board waiting to happen.
Chechen (import) -Also called Caribbean rosewood. Rich caramel, amber and brown tones that deepen with age. Hard, durable and finishes beautifully. A knife-handle and cutting-board favorite.
Cherry (domestic)- The American classic. Starts salmon-pink and ages into that deep reddish-brown everyone pictures when they hear "heirloom." Machines sweetly, finishes even sweeter and looks better every year it sits in your kitchen.
H
Hickory (domestic) -The hardest commercially available domestic hardwood in North America. Tool handles are made from it for a reason. Pale sapwood against reddish-brown heartwood gives even simple builds a striking, contrasty look. Cutting boards, benches and anything that gets used hard.
J
Jatoba (import) - Marketed elsewhere as Brazilian cherry, though it's harder than actual cherry by a wide margin. Rich reddish-brown, incredibly durable and a strong pick for flooring, tables and anything expected to survive kids.
L
Lacewood (import) - Quarter-sawn lacewood shows a snakeskin pattern of small shimmering flecks that stops people mid-aisle. Reddish-brown with a look you simply can't get from any other species. Boxes, veneered panels and accent pieces.
M
Maple (domestic) - The whole family lives on our racks. Hard Maple: dense, creamy-white and the standard for cutting boards and butcher blocks. Soft Maple: a little easier to work, still plenty tough. Curly Maple: rippling figure that lights up under Rubio Monocoat. Ambrosia Maple: beetle-tracked streaks and dots that turn a plain board into a conversation.
Morado (import) - Also known as Bolivian rosewood or Santos rosewood. Chocolate and violet-brown tones with dark striping, plus the density you'd expect from the rosewood family. Fine furniture and pieces meant to impress.
O
Oak, Red (domestic) - The everyday American hardwood. Warm pinkish-brown with a bold open grain. We stock it flat sawn, quarter sawn and rift sawn, so you can pick the grain pattern your project calls for.
Oak, White (domestic) - Red oak's tougher sibling. Denser, more water-resistant and the reason whiskey barrels exist. Available flat sawn, quarter sawn (with that famous ray fleck), rift sawn (straight, quiet grain) and rustic for character builds.
P
Padauk (import) - Screaming orange when freshly cut. It mellows toward reddish-brown over time, but nothing else on the rack announces itself like fresh padauk. African, dense and a favorite accent stripe in cutting boards.
Peruvian Walnut (import) - Also called Nogal. Darker and a touch softer than domestic walnut, with a smooth, even chocolate color. If you want walnut but darker and moodier, this is the board.
Poplar (domestic) - The beginner's best friend and the painter's first choice. Inexpensive, stable and easy to work, with green-gray streaks that disappear under paint. First projects, drawer boxes and paint-grade everything.
Purpleheart (import) - Yes, it's really purple. Cut it and it turns a deeper violet with exposure to light. South American, extremely hard and the fastest way to make a cutting board nobody forgets.
S
Sapele (import) - The mahogany look without the mahogany hunt. African, golden to reddish-brown, often with a ribbon stripe that shimmers when quarter sawn. Doors, furniture and instruments.
Spanish Cedar (import) - Not a true cedar, but it earned the name: aromatic, lightweight and naturally insect-resistant. The traditional wood for humidors and a smart pick for closet linings and outdoor projects.
Sycamore (Spalted) (domestic) - Spalting is what happens when fungus moves through a log at exactly the right moment and leaves ink-black lines nobody could draw on purpose. Every board is one of one. The species people stop and stare at in the shop.
T
Teak (import) - The gold standard for outdoor durability. Natural oils make it shrug off water, which is why boat decks have been teak for centuries. Golden-brown, silky to the touch and priced like the legend it is.
Tigerwood (import) - Also known as Goncalo Alves. Orange-brown body slashed with dark, irregular stripes. The name explains itself the moment you see a board. Hard, durable and built for pieces that want attention.
W
Walnut (domestic) - The one everybody asks for. Rich chocolate-brown heartwood, smooth working properties and a finish that makes people reach out and touch the table. If American woodworking has a signature species, this is it.
Wenge (import) - Nearly black straight off the rack, with a coarse, straight grain. Central African and seriously dense. When a design calls for true dark wood without stain, wenge is the answer.
Z
Zebrawood (import) - Exactly what it sounds like. Pale golden body with bold dark stripes, straight off the African savanna. Bold enough that a little goes a long way. Accent panels, boxes and one-of-a-kind tops.
Can't decide? That is what the counter is for.
Thirty species is a lot of choices. Tell us what you're building and how it'll be used and we'll narrow it to two or three boards worth holding. And if the board needs milling before it fits your car or your project, we'll handle that before you leave.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between domestic and import hardwood? Domestic hardwoods grow in North America (walnut, cherry, maple, oak). Import hardwoods come from outside North America, often tropical regions, and tend to bring bolder colors and patterns.
Is purpleheart really purple? Yes. It deepens to a richer violet with light exposure. No dye, no stain, just the tree.
How is lumber priced at Fish Brothers? All lumber is sold by the board foot. Prices vary by species, so call 918-928-9792 or stop in to check current stock and pricing.
Which species is best for a beginner? Poplar for paint-grade practice, alder for stained projects and soft maple when you want durability without a fight. Come in and we'll point you to the right rack.
Do you carry exotic species not listed here? Inventory changes. If you're hunting a specific species, call the shop and we'll tell you what's on the rack or what we can source.
