Many of these pics were contributed by James King, who asked me if I could identify the species, which I could not. James says it is called pink flamewood where he lives in Iquitos, Peru. He reports that the heart of the tree is generally 90% pink plus some other colors, and the sapwood is creamy tan.
Jim and others have subsequently made some progress in identifying the wood, but it is a species that is, as far as I know, local to the Iquitos area and you are unlikely to find it in exotic wood stores. It has been narrowed down to an unknown species in the genus Rinorea. It was available at exoticwoodworld.com, from which site I lifted those pics that James didn't send directly.
LATER: My friend Mark Peet tells me that an IWCS member states in an article that the species name is Rinorea paniculata.
June 2013 --- I have now learned that Jim is dead and the company web site is now a broken link, so likely we'll never see this wood again. I've left it on the site for now since there may still be some of Jim's stock floating around in the craftworld.
April, 2024 --- I have been informed by my friend David Clark that there is now a University botanist in Peru who sells samples of this and other Peruvian woods. I did not get a name or contact info. David also confirmed Mark's statement that this is Rinorea paniculata.
my samples: NOTE: these pics were all taken in very bright incandescent lighting ("soft white" at 2700K) colors will vary under other lighting conditions
None yet
web pics:
planks
the sawed open middle of a turning piece with a very interesting bug track. Dean Robertson sent me this pic. Thanks Dean. Dean had this as "Peruvian flamewood". Huge enlargements are present thanks to Dean's excellent photography.
two views of a turning block
two views of a turning block --- pretty obviously the other half of the tree section from the one directly above, and I suspect that the color on the left-hand pic in this set is more accurate than any of the other three, which appear to have grossly exaggerated red and yellow
bowl blank
top and bottom of a bowl
more bowls
jug
gun stock
misc objects made by John Jordan, who also obtained his wood from James King
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