We have had quite a few questions about Jatoba ,one of our most popular woods especially for flooring. You pronounce Jatoba as JA-toe-BAH.
Where is Jatoba Wood from?
Jatoba is native to areas including Central America, southern Mexico, northern South America, and the West Indies; although, most of our supply comes from Brazil. It is a tropical hardwood tree, so the best wood for lumber uses is found in tropical forests.
What is it usually used for?
Jatoba is very popular for flooring, but is also be used in stair treads, tool handles, and general woodworking jointery. It’s main benefits are it extreme hardness and strength for the price. It is often used for areas that have high traffic or may be prone to user abuse.
How does Jatoba respond to planing?
Jatoba Lumber can be a challenge to work with because of its hardness, but with the proper tools this can easily be overcome. Jatoba is known to be a challenge to plane because of the interlocking grains. However, it finishes well.
How should you finish Jatoba?
Jatoba glues, stains, turns, and finishes well. It is also not an oily wood when compared with teak. Polishing Jatoba can create a beautiful luster. We would also recommend screwing instead of nailing this wood when possible because of its extreme density.
What are some considerations when working Jatoba?
The main consideration of Jatoba are dulling of tools, and making sure to consider it hardness. Many compare working Jatoba to working Red Oak. Being of moderate difficulty but not easy or hard.
How does ETT Fine Woods’s quality of Jatoba compare to the competition?
All ETT Fine Woods’s lumber inspectors have decades of experience. .Each piece of lumber is hand inspected to ensure the best grade. Over our 172 years of business, we have learned to purchase the best lumber from reputable mills that stand behind their product. We buy mostly green/air-dried material, this allows us to oversee the drying of our Jatoba. Jatoba is one of our most popular lumber products. We know this is because our quality of our product is the best available.
Why it is called Brazilian Cherry?
“Brazilian Cherry,” is mainly a marketing term for the Flooring Industry that provides a frame of reference when comparing Jatoba to Domestic hardwoods. Jatoba bears little relation to the domestic Cherry (Prunus serotina) which is found in the US. Although, its natural color closely matches the common stained color of domestic Cherry that has been aged/stained reddish-brown seen in some interior furniture. Jatoba is exceptionally stiff, strong, and hard—representing a great value for woodworker or buyer seeking high-strength, low-cost lumber.
If you have any more questions about Jatoba or any of our other hardwood offerings feel free to comment below or contact us.