The heartwood of Okoumé has a light grey pink color, often with a reddish shade. The sapwood is whitish grey and normally easy to distinguish. The wood has no special smell or taste and the lustre is low. Okoumé originating from Precious Woods Gabon forest has a quite regular grain and limited interlocked grain. The texture is medium coarse.

The machining of Okoumé can be done easily. The timber does not tend to split and has a good stability. Even interlocked grain can be planed smoothly with aid of sharp tools. The Silica content in the wood can cause a blunting effect on the tools. Pre-drilling is recommended. Positive experience is available regarding the gluing and finishing. Drying of Okoumé is rather easy, with hardly any defects.

Okoumé is used for interior applications, like window and door frames, doors and cladding. Furthermore, it could be used for fully protected exterior constructions (e.g. protected window frames and cladding). Well-known is the use of Okoumé veneer for plywood, with a good durability for outside use. In Southern Europe sawn timber is used for outside applications like windows and door frames and cladding.

Description by: Precious Woods