Field notes from our teams in African sawmills and the export desk: species guides, naming clarifications and how professionals price and order African lumber.
A practical guide to the African hardwood species importers actually buy — sapelli, iroko, okoume, limba, padouk, wenge and more, with uses and forms.
Sapelli and sapele are the same species (Entandrophragma cylindricum). Why two spellings exist, what to put on your purchase documents, and how to grade it.
Khaya sells as African mahogany but is not Swietenia. Differences in density, movement, appearance, documentation — and when the swap saves money.
Why iroko replaces teak in decking, doors, boat decks and exterior joinery — durability, workability, pricing logic and what to specify when ordering.
The four things that move African hardwood pricing — species, grade, dimensions and freight — and how to read a lumber quote like an importer.