Quilted Sapele and Pomele Sapele from Griffin Exotic Wood

Griffin Exotic Wood

Figured Sapele
(entandrophragma cylindricum)

For years, this wood has been difficult to get and has now become almost impossible to acquire in the USA. Part of the reason is that it is almost all being sold to veneer and other manufacturers in China, who pay more and have thus cornered the market. The wood is worth more as veneer and the lumber prices for the small remaining stocks of highly figured solid wood are now very high. Wood with medium or low or no figure is still easy to get and much less expensive. The figure may look like the pictures above or others below (more quilted/curly or intensely quilted, or a combination of the two). The color can also be lighter or darker as well. Most people are very happy with our gallery grade (gg) material, and even gallery grade minus (gg-) material is very nice compared to most figured woods.

Grading system: gallery grade plus (gg+)=outstanding highest figure with distinct figure over 90% of the piece on FOUR faces.
gallery grade (gg) = Very high figure with distinct figure over at least 90% of the piece on two faces. Sometimes there is four face figure, but not enough to be GG+
gallery grade minus (gg-): A very nice figured piece, no specific rules about where the figure is but any reasonable person would call it a piece of "figured" wood.


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Click photo for side 2
This piece is true Pomele Sapele.
We do have the ability to cut a few more from the same board which has this same figure throughout. Best finish for this type of wood is to sand very fine using sanding sealer and then use many coats of lacquer, such as deft clear lacquer. It is shown with shellac.
Pieces not listed below are sold.

Click photo for side 2
These are dried quilted sapele with great quality figure. With this group I've marked the grade below the pieces in the first photo. Pieces not listed below are sold. Note that they all say Quilted sapele, but technically some are pomele sapele or a mixture of both figure types.
No surprises: ALL four sides visible in photos:

THESE ARE OUT OF STOCK BUT WE EXPECT MORE SOON during summer 2020--email us for details

Click here for a THIRD side view.

Click here for FOURTH side view.

Click photo for side 2
An almost unknown burl. We had a small supply a couple years ago and it sold in minutes. I thought it was gone but found this one behind another board in the shop, so here is one last chance to get this for anyone who missed the other ones years ago. This board DOES fit the large flat rate box with USPS.

Order online, or call us Monday through Friday: 1-970-241-2827
International callers and all Questions: Email us

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without written permission. Copyright 2006, 2020 by James Griffin. If you are a customer
and desire to use some of our photos on your website, email us with your request.