Boxwood
Buxus sempervirens
Boxwood is a small, slow-growing tree that produces one of the finest-textured and most uniform woods known. Its pale yellow color, extreme density, and incredibly smooth surface have made it the preferred material for fine engraving blocks, chess pieces, musical instrument parts, and precision rulers for centuries. While only available in very small sizes, Boxwood remains unsurpassed for applications requiring absolute precision, smooth surfaces, and intricate detail.
Janka Hardness
2840 lbf
Very hard
Density
57 lbs/ft³
Very dense
Shrinkage
Moderate (8.2% tangential, 5.0% radial)
Moderate
Appearance
Color: Pale cream to bright yellow heartwood. Very uniform color throughout. Darkens slightly to golden yellow with age.
Grain: Extremely fine, straight to irregular grain with very fine, uniform texture. Almost no visible grain when finished.
Key Characteristics
- •Finest texture of any commercial wood
- •Extremely dense and hard
- •Smooth as ivory when polished
- •Pale uniform yellow color
- •Excellent for intricate detail
- •Turns and carves superbly
Common Applications
Maintenance
Indoor use only. Minimal maintenance needed. Wax or oil finish preserves color. Very durable surface for its applications.
Advantages
- +Finest texture available in any wood
- +Polishes to ivory-like smoothness
- +Exceptional for precision work
- +Holds intricate detail perfectly
- +Beautiful pale yellow color
- +Dense and hard-wearing
Considerations
- •Extremely expensive
- •Only available in very small sizes
- •Very slow-growing and scarce
- •Not suitable for large projects
- •Can check and crack during drying
- •Limited to specialty applications