Exotic wood

[tomwilson74]

Where do you guys find deals on exotic wood? I really like purpleheart and padauk. Trying to find a more affordable source.

[oakey]

here i buy it from a lumber dealer purple heart is 7.00 a board foot padauk if i remember correct is the same

[photobug]

If it is not local all bets are off.  It's hard to find a good deal on wood and have it still be a good deal by the time it arrives at your door, unless you are buying a truckload worth of wood.

I did find a bunch of purple heart years ago on Craigslist years ago.  It was premilled to thinner dimensions. I now have a lifetime of Purple heart accent pieces.

[FS7]

Where do you guys find deals on exotic wood?  I really like purpleheart and padauk.  Trying to find a more affordable source.

It depends on where you are. Locally, I have a few hardwood sources - Colonial Hardwoods (very expensive, few exotics), Vienna (excellent prices, great wood, life-threatening to pick out your own boards), and Hardwoods in the Rough (moderately priced, sporadic selection). I've gotten exotics from each of them and some great figured wood from each of them. It really depends - wood is a natural product, so you're going to get something different each time. You really never know - Vienna had zebrawood at $7.50 per BF, which is extraordinarily cheap - especially for this area - and I got a mix of traditional zebrawood (striped) and some super crazy stuff that looks like like lightning bolts. 

For what it's worth, I've gotten decent boards at Woodcraft as well. They are usually at least surfaced (S2S) and the grain is decent. For boards that aren't that exciting, they just sit there and remain available. This is more evident for woods that have a huge variance like sapele - figured ribbon sapele is amazing, while flat sawn sapele is about as boring as you can get. It's a great wood, easily workable, hard, machines well, and all of that, but it isn't exciting with flat-sawn normal grain.

The moral of the story is that online, you probably won't find anything. Locally, maybe, but it varies. I know that's not particularly helpful, but it's the truth.

[SteveS]

Where do you guys find deals on exotic wood?  I really like purpleheart and padauk.  Trying to find a more affordable source.

Depends on how exotic. Purpleheart and African Paduak are what I refer to as pedestrian exotics and I can get them at two different lumber stores in Seattle. The more exotic stuff I will either find on woodbarter.com or order from Gilmer or Tropical Exotic Hardwoods of Latin America.

In general wood is a fluctuating, but increasingly expensive commodity since the supply decreases over time so deals to be had will be relative.

[paulmaine]

You can try Rarewoods USA here in Maine:
  http://www.rarewoodsusa.com/

They are a huge huge importer but they are expensive.  The business moved here from South Africa about ten years ago.  Some times the owner goes home to SA this time of year.