Hands down one of the most beautiful woods we use on a regular bases is Bloodwood. The richness of the red coloring can range from deep dark hues to vibrant bright shades that really make the boards stand out. Often found in tropical South America this specialty lumber is a favorite amongst lathe turners and project makers alike. The only downside is that the wood is extremely dense. This is fantastic for the customer but for those of us that have to buy the tools and replacement blades that this wood dulls it can be quite a pain. Often, when turning a small wine bottle topper with bloodwood in it, I will have to stop and use a diamond file to give the lathe tools a finer edge in order to finish the project. It’s not financially practical to buy large sections of this primarily because of its exceptional cost but from time to time I will pick up a small 18″ long piece to put into a handful of cutting boards or handles. If you like the look that it gives and would be interested to see if it could be economically incorporated into a project you’d like built please feel free to let me know.

Below you can see the Bloodwood tree the moment it is cut down. The red sap that helps eventually color the heartwood also gives the tree is macabre name.

Image courtesy of Google Images