{"id":2260,"date":"2017-04-17T04:00:48","date_gmt":"2017-04-17T08:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.woodturningpens.com\/?p=2260"},"modified":"2017-02-04T16:15:22","modified_gmt":"2017-02-04T21:15:22","slug":"katalox","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.woodturningpens.com\/katalox\/","title":{"rendered":"Katalox"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Geographic Distribution<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Those familiar with botanical naming conventions know the tree which yields the wood commonly known as Katalox as a member of the Swartzia<\/em> genus, most likely S. cubensis<\/em> although other species within the Swartiza<\/em> genus might also be marketed under the common name of Katalox.  Given that there are over 200 named species within the Swartzia<\/em> genus the potential for confusion is astounding.  S. cubensis<\/em> is native to a wide range of territory from southern Mexico through Central America and into northern South America.<\/p>\n

Several other members of the Swartzia<\/em> genus are well known and valued hardwoods, including several species commonly sold as “Queenwood” which originate in Peru and S. benthamiana <\/em>and S. leiocalycina<\/em> which yield the wood commonly sold as either Wamara or Guyana Rosewood, which, despite the common name, also grows in the same areas in which S. cubensis<\/em> is found, including but most certainly not limited to, Guyana.  Also, only members of the Dalbergia genus are generally considered “true” Rosewoods, although Swartzia spp.<\/em> woods can be quite lovely in their own right.<\/p>\n

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Katalox – Sealed<\/p><\/div>\n

S. cubensis<\/em> may also be sold under several other common names, including, but likely not limited to: Mexican Royal Ebony, Bannia, Catalox, or Katalosh. On occasion, S. cubensis<\/em> may be confused with S. benthamiana <\/em>and S. leiocalycina<\/em> and therefore sold as Wamara. However, the visual differences between these species should easily prevent confusion once it is understood what constitutes a true sample of S. cubensis<\/em>.  S. cubensis<\/em>, as we will learn, is almost black in appearance while a true “Wamara” is lighter in color and features stripes.<\/p>\n

For the sake of simplicity and common understanding, I will refer to Swartzia cubensis <\/em>from this point forward as Katalox.<\/p>\n

General Characteristics<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The most striking and desirable characteristic of Katalox is the coloration of the heartwood which ranges from a dark reddish brown to nearly black, hence the common name of Mexican Royal Ebony.  Katalox heartwood also sometimes features a strong purplish cast which allows it to compare favorably with the true Rosewood Dalbergia<\/em> cearensis<\/em> (Kingwood).<\/p>\n

By way of contrast, the Katalox sapwood, which is sharply demarcated, is a pale yellowish white.  Some craftspeople especially value flitches of Katalox that include the sapwood because they can exploit the strongly contrasting colors in furniture and other wood craft applications.<\/p>\n

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Katalox Log<\/p><\/div>\n

It is not uncommon for Katalox to feature curly or wavy grain patterns.<\/p>\n

The grain of Katalox is usually straight but it can also occasionally be interlocked or otherwise irregular.<\/p>\n

Katalox features a fine and even texture and once properly and finely surfaced, a good natural luster.<\/p>\n

The endgrain appearance of Katalox is diffuse and porous with medium to large pores that are few in number.  There may occasionally be mineral and\/or gum deposits present.<\/p>\n

While there is some variation depending on the exact species in question, in general, Katalox displays a strong resistance to fungal rot, being rated as very durable.  Katalox heartwood is also known to be highly resistant to termites, although it is susceptible to marine borers.<\/p>\n

Working Characteristics<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Katalox is extremely heavy and dense, in fact so dense that once dried it may sink in water.  These characteristics cause Katalox to be considered as a difficult wood with which to work.<\/p>\n

As might be expected from a wood of this density and hardness, Katalox as a pronounced blunted effect on cutter surfaces, so frequent sharpening, or the use of replaceable carbide cutters such as those found on Easy Wood Tools<\/a>, coupled with patience, are critical for achieving success with Katalox.<\/p>\n

If interlocked grain is present, tear out during operations such as planing are likely to occur.  There are expert opinions about how to best prevent tear out available elsewhere<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Finally, the high density can make Katalox difficult to glue, especially when coupled with a high natural oil content.  While the density cannot be reduced, one way to combat high oil content is to wash the surfaces to be glued, immediately prior to the application of glue and clamping, with a solvent such as acetone or lacquer thinner which acts to remove the immediate surface oils and helps increase bonding strength.<\/p>\n

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Katalox Planks<\/p><\/div>\n

Katalox is reported to have a faint odor when freshly cut or worked.<\/p>\n

Pricing and Availability<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Katalox should be expected to command from the middle to high part of the price spectrum for imported exotic hardwoods.  While expensive, it is usually widely available in both turning blank sizes as well as lumber, although expect most of these pieces to have considerable sapwood present, although as noted above, the presence of sapwood can be considered a design advantage.<\/p>\n

In this blog, I always recommend several vendors with whom I have done considerable business and in whom I have great confidence.  These vendors are: West Penn Hardwoods<\/a>, Bell Forest Products<\/a>, NC Wood<\/a>, Got Wood?<\/a>, and WoodTurningz<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Of these fine vendors, only Got Wood doesn’t stock Katalox, but that is because they specialize in domestic species.<\/p>\n

West Penn Hardwoods sells a very wide range of sizes and types of Katalox including everything from flitches to pen, bowl, and spindle blanks, to lumber in both figured and curly forms.  The largest bowl blank on offer is a fairly small 5”x5”x2” which sells for a reasonable $8.98.<\/p>\n

Bell Forest Products also sells a decent range of turning blank sizes, mostly spindle sizes, but up to a large 8”x8”x3” bowl blank for $36.00.  They also sell Katalox 4\/4 lumber for as little as $10.45 bf depending on quantity.<\/p>\n

Wood Turningz sells Katalox pen blanks for $1.75 each, three sizes of spindle blank ($7.95 – $19.95) as well as 8”x8”x3” bowl blanks for $29.95.<\/p>\n

Finally, NC Wood sells seven different spindle sizes of Katalox ($6.00 – $24.00) as well as two sizes of bowl blanks, 6” and 8” squares of 3” thickness for $24 and $42 respectively.<\/p>\n

As to which vendor would be best I can’t say, but I would suggest that an interested buyer look at all the options, consider shipping distances and prices, as well as other items that might be of interest from any one seller before selecting a vendor.  I’ve had excellent experiences will all of these vendors and would feel confident purchasing Katalox from any of them and have done so in the past.<\/p>\n

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Katalox Spindle Finished<\/p><\/div>\n

Woodfinder<\/a> is an excellent website that is dedicated to advertising wood dealers.  In your search for Katalox, this can be an invaluable resource provided you use multiple search terms to capture all the possible listings.  I can’t speak to the quality of any of the listed dealers, but Woodfinder does have the advantage of allowing searches to be performed based on location which might allow an interested buyer to visit a listed wood dealer in person to hand pick pieces at a comfortable price.<\/p>\n

A significant problem with using Woodfinder is that many vendors are listed for woods that, upon further investigation, they do not offer.  I don’t know if perhaps once they did and they didn’t update their listings or if some vendors use a standardized list of woods that include most everything conceivable with the idea that once you land on their page you will find something you want to buy even if you didn’t know it beforehand.  It happens to me all the time!<\/p>\n

Uses<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Katalox is used for several decorative purposes.<\/p>\n

It is commonly used as an inlay, including for parquet flooring, for its dark color.<\/p>\n

It may also find use in the construction of very fine furniture and cabinetry, often with the sapwood used to full effect as a contrast to the very dark hardwood, which will darken over time.  This use is especially prevalent in its native areas in southern Mexico.<\/p>\n

Increasingly Katalox is being recognized as a fine tone wood and is finding use in musical instruments, especially in guitar manufacture.<\/p>\n

Katalox is also recognized as an excellent turning wood due to its extreme hardness, so it find use in the manufacture of turned items such as bowls, pens, other desk tools, vases, and other small specialty items such as knife and gun grips that are typically carved.<\/p>\n

Sustainability<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Katalox is not listed as being in any way threatened or endangered by the Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendices<\/a> nor does it appear on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List<\/a>.<\/p>\n

To the best of my knowledge, Katalox is not subject to any special restrictions by any United States government agency.<\/p>\n

I realize that inherent in working with wood is the killing of a part of the natural world that may be slow to return and if I become deeply concerned about this fact, I will have to find a new hobby.  I hope that such a time does not come to pass or at least not any time soon.  In part because I am concerned about legally and responsibly obtained wood, I am reluctant to buy from sellers outside of well-established and known vendors.  I am highly unlikely, for example, to purchase any wood from auction sites, such as Ebay, because of uncertain sourcing and documentation, as well as the potential, even likelihood, of material being misidentified in order to achieve a higher selling price.<\/p>\n

However, due to the commercial scarcity of some domestic woods, resorting to auction sites such as Ebay <\/a>or Etsy <\/a>may be the only way to obtain some desirable domestic, or in some cases exotic imported, species that are not routinely commercially harvested.  The potential risks of buying in these marketplaces have to be balanced against the desire to work with a specific species of wood.  That is inherently an individual decision.<\/p>\n

I also realize that many, if not most, wood workers do not have endangered species lists memorized, therefore I think it worthwhile and important to do even a small amount of research before purchasing any lumber, domestic as well as imported, to be certain of the potential impact you are having, even in a small way, on threatened or endangered populations.  This information is easy to come by and takes only minutes to locate through any Internet search engine, including those you can access on your phone as you are standing in the lumber yard or store.  Unfortunately, you simply cannot count on a vendor to tell you a product they are selling is endangered.<\/p>\n

Health Hazards<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Care and caution are required when working with Katalox because it has been reported to cause respiratory irritation in some individuals.<\/p>\n

In addition, the long-term negative effects of exposure to sawdust of any species are well documented.<\/p>\n

It is important to remember that although many people may, or may not, be sensitive to any given wood the only experience that truly counts is your own, so use reported side effects as guidance but not as a substitute for cautious and safe practices.  After all, despite a lack of reported major health effects, turning a bowl blank of Timborana almost killed me through immediate respiratory distress followed by a multiple week long illness, so caution is ALWAYS warranted.<\/p>\n

Appropriate protective equipment is therefore always recommended when working with this, or any other, wood, exotic or domestic, unless you have worked with the species before and are certain you are not sensitive to it.<\/p>\n

But also bear in mind that many of the negative health effects, although certainly not all of them, are associated with high volume contact among industrial users working in mills and other processing facilities where the amount of contact with dust and wood is much higher than would ever be realistic for a hobbyist user.<\/p>\n

Complete information about health hazards<\/a> associated with a wide variety of exotic hardwoods is available from The Wood Database<\/a>.  Additional information about how to best use a dust collection system and personal protective equipment, such as respirators, can also be found through this excellent and comprehensive resource<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, I experienced no negative side effects when working with Katalox.<\/p>\n

My Personal Experiences<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I was only able to work with a small pen blank sized piece of Katalox for my first experience but I enjoyed it a good deal.  Katalox is exceptionally hard so it cut very cleanly on the lathe with sharp fresh tools.  The blank appeared distinctly purplish so I was disappointed when that color quickly gave way to a very dark brown, almost black color which obscured most of the interesting grain figure that was previously visible.  The Katalox achieved a very nice finish once properly sanded and it took a cyanoacrylate finish easily with little noticeable darkening or other color shift.<\/p>\n

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Katalox Pen<\/p><\/div>\n

I have larger bowl blank sized pieces of Katalox in my shop stocks, all of which include at least some of the pale yellow sapwood, and I am eager to experiment with those larger Katalox blanks in the making of larger items such as bowls from this interesting wood.  I am especially excited by the challenge of maintaining as much of the Katalox sapwood as possible to exploit the color contrast between the very light sapwood and the extremely dark heartwood.<\/p>\n

As always, I wish all my readers a great experience in whatever their wood working interests happen to be and to those who like working with lathes especially, do a good turn today!<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The most striking and desirable characteristic of Katalox is the coloration of the heartwood which ranges from a dark reddish brown to nearly black, hence the common name of Mexican Royal Ebony. Katalox heartwood also sometimes features a strong purplish cast which allows it to compare favorably with the true Rosewood Dalbergia cearensis (Kingwood). By way of contrast, the Katalox sapwood, which is sharply demarcated, is a pale yellowish white. Some craftspeople especially value flitches of Katalox that include the sapwood because they can exploit the strongly contrasting colors in furniture and other wood craft applications.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":175,"featured_media":2192,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[128],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nKatalox - Wood Turning Pens ..<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Katalox is an extremely dark, dense, and hard exotic wood imported from Latin America that is popular as a tonewood as well as for extremely fine furniture.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.woodturningpens.com\/katalox\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Katalox - 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