Sonoke: A Trade Name Connected with Indian Rosewood

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Sonoke is a timber trade name also known as sonokeling. Although its name is connected with Indian rosewood, MORI KOUGEI treats Sonoke as a separate product name. It is useful to distinguish a difference in naming from a difference in the tree itself.

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The photographs are examples of the color and grain associated with each wood or figure. Every piece of natural wood is different; the sheet you receive will not have exactly the same color or grain as the photographs.

Names and identification

Trade names

Sonoke / Sonokeling Hoxan: Rosewood

Relationship to a common name

Listed as an alternative name for Indian rosewood Hoxan: Rosewood

Associated species in general references

Dalbergia latifolia Roxb. / Family Fabaceae Kew: Dalbergia latifolia

MORI KOUGEI veneer sheets

A4 (210 × 297 mm), approximately 0.25 mm thick, backed with industrial washi paper MORI KOUGEI: A4 veneer sheet product information

The relationship between sonoke and Indian rosewood

Hoxan's Indian Rosewood entry lists Sonokeling as an alternative name. Kew gives Indian rosewood as a common name for Dalbergia latifolia. The appropriate conclusion is therefore not that sonoke and Indian rosewood must be different botanical species, but that these trade names can connect to the same generally recognized species. Hoxan: Rosewood / Kew: Dalbergia latifolia

An overlap in trade names does not mean every retail product should be treated as identical. Following the name used at purchase and the way the material is categorized, MORI KOUGEI offers sonoke as a product separate from rosewood. MORI KOUGEI: A4 veneer sheet product information

Compare the lines within a dark surface

Indian rosewood is generally described in terms of reddish-brown to deep purplish streaks. When considering sonoke, look beyond overall darkness to the contrast between background and stripes, and to the thickness and spacing of the lines. Even similar color families can have different degrees of presence in a design. Hoxan: Rosewood

For a broad surface such as a small box lid, use a template to test which area should sit at the center. For a narrow edge, consider how much of the pattern will remain after cutting. When comparing sonoke with rosewood or shitan, let the desired role of the lines and color guide you rather than treating the names as a ranking of quality.

Working with paper-backed veneer

The sonoke A4 product measures 210 × 297 mm and is approximately 0.25 mm thick, combining natural wood veneer with industrial washi paper. It is a surface material for furniture edges, small-object decoration and wood inlay. It does not mean that the weight, hardness or acoustic properties of thick solid wood transfer directly to the thin sheet. MORI KOUGEI: A4 veneer sheet product information

Prepare a flat substrate and test bonding and finishing on an offcut. For repairs, check the actual match of color and grain rather than relying only on the same trade name. A new sheet may look different from furniture that has aged for years, so consider how you want the repaired area to appear as part of the whole. MORI KOUGEI: A4 veneer sheet product information

For international orders, please contact us before ordering. Include the material name, quantity and destination in your message.

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Explore related woods

This article draws on publicly available sources from Japan and abroad, with AI used to support research and organization.

References

1. MORI KOUGEI: A4 veneer sheet product information
2. Hoxan: Rosewood
3. Kew: Dalbergia latifolia