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Wood 13 of 21
Padauk
The brightest wood in this guide: a vivid orange-red that slowly deepens to a warm red-brown.
Color over time
Approximate, in a normally lit room. Illustrated grain; real boards vary.
- Hardness
- 1,710 Very hardHigher number means harder to dent. About the Janka test
- Weight
- Medium-heavy
- Cost of the wood
- $$Moderate, per board foot
- Grows in
- Central and West Africa
Great for: Cutting-board stripes, accent pieces, small tables, boxes
What it looks like
Freshly cut, it’s a vivid orange-red with a nice natural sheen. The grain is a bit coarse and open.
How it changes over time
One of the biggest color changes here. Orange turns to brick red, then to a deep red-brown. In a normal room that takes 6 to 18 months, in direct sun only weeks.
Shimmer
A nice sheen, and some boards have stripes that shimmer. People choose it for color, not shimmer.
Smell
A faint, pleasant smell when cut; none once finished.
With a natural wax finish
Brightest on day one, but it browns fastest under wax, because wax doesn’t block sunlight. A waxed padauk piece is usually brown within a year or two.
With a semi-gloss lacquer finish
Turns a glowing blood-red with the first coat. A clear lacquer with sun protection keeps the red longest, but over time it still turns browner.
Safe for food?
Looks great with
- Hard Maple: the bold cutting-board classic
- American Black Walnut: red on brown
- Wenge: red and black
- Purpleheart: the “rainbow” combo; both turn browner over time
- White Oak: olive-tan against orange-red
- White Ash: blond against red