Merbau  

Scientific Name:

Intsia biuga / Intsia palembanica spp.

Origin:

Merbau grows in the Indo-Malayan region, as well as in the Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, and many of the western Pacific islands. "Merbau" is the Malayan term for this wood. In the Philippines it is known as "Ipil."

Appearance:

When freshly cut, the heartwood of merbau is a yellowish to orange-brown color, but then darkens to brown or red brown. The grain of this coarse-textured wood varies from straight to interlocked or wavy. One of the distinctive properties of this wood is that surface of the boards may have yellow "flecking" in the pores; thus, when finished, the wood may appear almost flecked with gold.

Properties:

Merbau is almost as stable as teak. And although comparable to hickory in strength, merbau has a much lower density. It has excellent dimensional stability and is highly resistant to termites.

Janka Hardness: 1712