Polished wood of Pterogyne nitens, known as Amendoim bravo.
Polished wood of Pterogyne nitens, known as Amendoim bravo.
Vojtěch Zavadil, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Wood Species

Amendoim

Pterogyne nitens

Janka hardness
1780 lbf
Specific gravity
0.8
Workability
Fairly easy but interlocked grain risks tearout; high silica dulls tools

Amendoim (Pterogyne nitens) is a South American hardwood whose heartwood ranges from light to medium reddish-brown, sometimes with darker striping, closely resembling mahogany — and it darkens further with age and light exposure.

Working Properties

Amendoim is fairly cooperative under both hand and machine tools, with one catch — interlocked grain courts tearout, especially while planing. High natural silica content dulls cutting tools faster than the moderate Janka number would suggest on its own. It takes to steam bending well and finishes nicely once you're through the machining stage.

Sustainability

Amendoim is reported by the IUCN as near threatened, though it's not listed in the CITES appendices.

Typical Uses

Flooring (primarily sold as flooring planks), furniture, and cabinetry.

Images

Polished wood of Pterogyne nitens, known as Amendoim bravo.

Raw Wood: Polished wood of Pterogyne nitens, known as Amendoim bravo. Vojtěch Zavadil, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Images are sourced from Wikimedia Commons under their original open licenses -- see each image's caption for its specific license and attribution.