# Mahogany



## pike (Feb 26, 2010)

ill have to try some Mahogany for smoking meats.

found a site today that uses this wood.


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## pops6927 (Feb 26, 2010)

Be careful cutting it if you have to.  Phillipine mahogany sawdust when breathed in thru the nose can cause a rare sinus cancer.  I knew a husband of one of my former employees who had to have half his skull removed to get the cancer out of his sinuses.  Was not a pleasant procedure and they could only put back half of what they took off.


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## pike (Feb 26, 2010)

ive got a board but no clue as to where its from


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## chef jeff tx (Feb 26, 2010)

Never heard of using Mahogany as a smoking wood. 
I'd be a little leary because as mentioned by Pops it can cause issues. I know several people who have gotten pretty bad rashes, similar to poison ivy from handling the wood and/or coming in contact or breathing in the dust while sanding or turning it. 

Also there are several species of wood that aren't Genuine Mahogany that are sold as mahogany:


The Spanish or cigar-box cedar (_Cedrela odorata_) of Central  and *South  America* has a hard, durable, richly colored wood that is used  as a substitute for the true mahogany in fine [COLOR=red ! important][COLOR=red ! important][font=Georgia,&quot]cabinetry[/font][/color][/color]  and furniture, as is the crab-wood (_Carapa guianensis_), with a  broadly similar range. The African mahogany (_Khaya senegalensis_)  grows in tropical forests on the west coast of Africa and is one of the  many African species, including those in the genera _Entandrophragma_  and _Lovoa_, which are substituted for the wood of the true  mahogany. Some tropical [COLOR=red ! important][COLOR=red ! important][font=Georgia,&quot]hardwoods[/font][/color][/color]  in other *plant*  families are also used as substitutes for mahogany, for example, the  Columbian mahogany _Cariniana pyriformis_, family Lecythidaceae.
 The Chinaberry (_Melia azedarach_) is native to southern Asia,  but is grown as an ornamental plant in parts of the southern United  States. The compound leaves of the Chinaberry can be longer than 20 in  (50 cm), and its purplish flowers are attractive and fragrant.
 Species in the genera _Azadirachta_ and _Melia_ are used to  manufacture botanical *insecticides*.  [COLOR=red ! important][COLOR=red ! important][font=Georgia,&quot]Seeds[/font][/color][/color]  of the [COLOR=red ! important][COLOR=red ! important][font=Georgia,&quot]trees[/font][/color][/color] _Carapa guianensis_ and _C. moluccensis_ are used to  manufacture a minor product known as carapa fat, a thick white or yellow  oil used in [COLOR=red ! important][COLOR=red ! important][font=Georgia,&quot]oil [/font][COLOR=red ! important][font=Georgia,&quot]lamps[/font][/color][/color][/color], and  sometimes as an insect repellant.


Read more: Mahogany  - Some Related Species http://science.jrank.org/pages/4092/...#ixzz0gcSj4gMk


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## meateater (Feb 26, 2010)

I'd toss it.


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## pike (Feb 26, 2010)

Toss it?  not for a woodworker/carpenter,   i had gotten a few boards for building with and its the left over wood.


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## pops6927 (Feb 26, 2010)

Oh, I agree with you there!  Esp. as I'm in Texas where slab hardwood is as hard and expensive to find as chicken's false teeth.  Just wear a good facemask and be careful handling it.  Used to make hardwood clocks and things and know how valuable a good piece of wood is; it's fretting over what to make that's hard!


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## desertlites (Feb 27, 2010)

I've used Alot in cabinet & fur. building and never cared for the smell-and ya it has it's posions as does other woods-as far as me I wouldn't smoke with it.but that aint saying you shouldn't.


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## pike (Mar 1, 2010)

you guys sound like me when i see the words cider planking. i wont use it myself and i dont want anything smelling like the inside of my hope chest


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## Bearcarver (Mar 1, 2010)

I worked in cabinet making for over 20 years, and had my own shop for 10 years. I would avoid mahogany for smoking. Mahogany tastes terrible!
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





 I know that sounds funny, because you aren't supposed to eat it, but when you saw it, joint it, plane it, and sand it, you can't help getting at least a little bit in your mouth. It is very bitter, second only to Walnut (in domestic woods).

Did you know Walnut kills horses?
When we gave away our sawdust for horse stalls & cow pens, we made sure no Walnut sawdust went to horse stalls. Horses absorb toxins from Walnut sawdust through their hoofs. They can then die of "Laminitis". Don't ask me why, but it doesn't hurt cows.

Just my two cents.

Bearcarver


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## pike (Mar 2, 2010)

Hay alright  another wood crafter,   wont be short on conversation with this topic,  :-)   wood working  is fun 
isn't it?  my dad got me interested in wood working when  i was around  12 or 13,     long time ago and built 
some interesting stuff along the way,     (show you this gun cabinet made of all out of 2by4's talk about heavy
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





)   and a mahogany stereo cabinet i made in 12th grade shop class,   (ya door got damaged, havent fixed yet)






but anyway Ive never had any reaction from working with this wood.
 Wonder if that applies to all mahogany?


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## pike (Mar 3, 2010)

you guys arnt falling for that one are ya
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	




its really nasty tasting :-)



check this out
http://www.smokedmeats.com/


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## darbyandy (Nov 5, 2013)

We recently came back from California  to the  UK and I purchased some mountain mahogany wood from the smokehouse in Bishop California and I must say it's the best wood I've ever tasted with jerky . The shop is awesome a real jerky fest and the smoked bacon on the restaurant sandwiches was "to die for" :grilling_smilie:


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## Bearcarver (Nov 5, 2013)

Darbyandy said:


> We recently came back from California to the UK and I purchased some mountain mahogany wood from the smokehouse in Bishop California and I must say it's the best wood I've ever tasted with jerky . The shop is awesome a real jerky fest and the smoked bacon on the restaurant sandwiches was "to die for"


I believe "Mountain Mahogany" is actually in the "Rose" family.

Bear


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## darbyandy (Dec 27, 2013)

Thanks I'll have a look, tastes nice


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## radioguy (Dec 27, 2013)

Mountain mahogany is related to rose family.  Google Cercocarpus

RG


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## darbyandy (Dec 28, 2013)

Great thanks, looked it up and it's nothing like mahogany for furniture making,as you say it's part of the rosé family.I smoked a ham joint for Christmas and all the family loved it so will also be using it to cold smoke some home cured bacon :yahoo:


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## earlc2 (Mar 26, 2016)

The stores name is Mahogany Smoked Meats and I use to order from them years ago before California passed a law that made it unlawful for them to sell out of state.  But I just checked their online store and they sell mahogany wood chips and I ordered 9 lbs. of chips from them.  When it comes to bacon it's no contest, mahogany is the best tasting wood to use.  The taste of their bacon and other products is un-describable. If I was rich I'd fly out there just to by their bacon. :-) I just hope I can mimic their products.


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