Tamarind
Tamarindus indica
Tamarind is a beautiful and extremely hard tropical hardwood harvested from the well-known fruit-bearing tree. This dense wood features stunning dark reddish-brown to purplish-brown coloration with attractive darker streaking and excellent natural durability. Widely used in Asia for furniture, construction, and carvings, Tamarind combines exceptional hardness with striking appearance, making it ideal for premium flooring, turned items, and fine woodworking projects.
Janka Hardness
2690 lbf
Very hard
Density
58 lbs/ft³
Very dense
Shrinkage
Moderate (7.5% tangential, 4.8% radial)
Good stability
Appearance
Color: Dark reddish-brown to purplish-brown heartwood with darker streaks. Rich, deep coloration. Sapwood is pale yellowish-white.
Grain: Interlocked to wavy grain with medium to fine texture. Attractive figure when quartersawn.
Key Characteristics
- •Rich dark reddish-brown color
- •Extremely hard and dense
- •Good natural durability
- •Beautiful grain patterns
- •Harvested from fruit trees
- •Excellent polishing properties
Common Applications
Maintenance
Very durable for interior use. Oil or lacquer finish enhances color. Not commonly used outdoors but has decent natural durability.
Advantages
- +Stunning rich coloration
- +Exceptional hardness for wear resistance
- +Sustainable - harvested from spent fruit trees
- +Polishes to beautiful finish
- +Good dimensional stability
- +Durable and long-lasting
Considerations
- •Very hard - difficult to work
- •Requires carbide-tipped tools
- •Pre-drilling essential
- •Limited availability in Western markets
- •Can be expensive to source
- •Heavy weight