Ash

Mostly straight grain, some may have a wavy grain. Fine even texture. The sapwood is used rather than heartwood due to its creamy and even appearance. Sapwood color ranges from nearly white to and off-white cream color. Not rot or insect resistant. Extremely dense, and can be difficult to machine, especially in comparison to soft maple.

Grain is straight, with a coarse, uneven texture, Heartwood is a light to medium brown, commonly with a reddish cast. Paler sapwood is not always sharply demarcated from the heartwood. Quartersawn sections display prominent ray fleck patterns. Rated as non-durable to perishable, with poor insect resistance. Can become discolored and stained when in contact with water, Produces good results with hand and machine tools, though it has fairly high shrinkage values, resulting in mediocre dimensional stability, especially in flat sawn boards.

Grain is straight, with a very coarse texture. Heartwood is medium brown, sometimes with a reddish or yellowish hue, with nearly black streaks. Upon application of a wood finish (particularly an oil finish) the wood can become nearly black. However, unlike most other dark hardwoods, the heartwood of wenge can lighten (rather than darken) when exposed to sunlight. Very durable; good termite resistance.