Sapele: Reddish-Brown Color and Ribbon-Like Grain
Wood Dictionary
Sapele is characterized by a reddish-brown surface and ribbon-like stripes on quarter-sawn faces. It is an option for box or panel surfaces where the flow of grain should be featured. Although sometimes called by names resembling mahogany, MORI KOUGEI treats it as a distinct wood. MORI KOUGEI: Sapele A4 veneer sheet
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 and English names
- Sapele / Sapelli MORI KOUGEI: Sapele A4 veneer sheet / Hoxan: Sapele
- General botanical name and family
- Entandrophragma cylindricum / Family Meliaceae Kew: Entandrophragma cylindricum
- Natural distribution
- West tropical Africa to Uganda Kew: Entandrophragma cylindricum
- A4 sheet cut
- Quarter-sawn MORI KOUGEI: Sapele A4 veneer sheet
Its relationship to mahogany
Sapele is timber of the genus Entandrophragma in the family Meliaceae. It shares that family with Khaya, known as African mahogany, but belongs to a different genus, and MORI KOUGEI sells them separately. The name sapele mahogany, when encountered elsewhere, does not mean the same product as our Mahogany. Kew: Entandrophragma cylindricum / Kew: Khaya
How the ribbon stripes appear
In sapele, interlocked grain, with alternating fiber directions, generally produces narrow, relatively regular stripes on quarter-sawn surfaces. MORI KOUGEI describes this arrangement of luster as ribbon figure. Look at the light and dark of adjacent bands, not only at darker lines, to understand its character. USDA Wood Handbook, Chapter 1 / MORI KOUGEI: Sapele A4 veneer sheet
Keeping the stripes long can give a surface a clear sense of direction. On a narrow component such as a frame edge, consider whether the stripes should follow the edge or deliberately run another way. A small cut piece may no longer show the ribbon pattern as clearly, so choose with the intended dimensions in mind.
Reddish-brown variation and the figured product
Sapele heartwood generally changes from pale pink when freshly sawn to reddish brown or purplish brown with exposure to air and light. Initial color and the course of change vary, so do not judge the wood by redness alone; consider the name and grain description as well. Hoxan: Sapele
MORI KOUGEI's Mahogany Burl is the trade name for sapele burl. In regular Sapele, attention is on the flow of ribbons; in the burl product, it is on irregular variation across the surface. Comparing whether you want stripes or a broader arrangement of figure helps identify the expression you want in the finished piece.
Uses and handling of A4 sheets
Sapele timber is generally used for furniture and decorative veneer. MORI KOUGEI's A4 sheet is a quarter-sawn product measuring 210 × 297 mm and approximately 0.25 mm thick, with natural wood veneer backed by industrial washi paper. As a decorative material for a substrate, it can be used for repairs to flat wooden surfaces, wood inlay and furniture edges. USDA Wood Handbook, Chapter 1 / MORI KOUGEI: Sapele A4 veneer sheet
Prepare the surface and check grain direction and cutting positions before bonding. When covering several faces, plan for differences in color and stripes between sheets rather than expecting identical patterns. Test finishes on an offcut before proceeding. MORI KOUGEI: Sapele A4 veneer sheet
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This article draws on publicly available sources from Japan and abroad, with AI used to support research and organization.