The Same Brown, Different Woods — Moabi and Brownheart

Brown logs can look similar in photographs. But when placed side by side in person, the difference becomes clear right away. One is a warm brown with a hint of pink, while the other has fine, light-colored lines running closely through its deep brown. The former is moabi; the latter is brownheart. One comes from equatorial Africa, and the other from northeastern South America.

Moabi, a pinkish brown

Moabi (Baillonella toxisperma) is a large tree that grows in equatorial Africa. It can reach heights of 50–60 m, with a trunk diameter sometimes exceeding 1.5 m. It is also called African pearwood in English, but it is a different species from the pear tree.

A moabi block with reddish tones across its broad face, No. 2547.

The heartwood is an even pinkish brown and sometimes takes on a deeper reddish brown. Its color gradually deepens over time. In boards kept standing vertically, the grain runs straight from top to bottom, while the reddish tone spreads evenly across the entire surface.

A standing moabi board. The grain is straight and the color is even.

The grain is straight or slightly wavy, with a fine, even texture. Viewed closely across a broad face, the pattern bends and curls among the straight grain, reflecting light differently depending on the angle. It is relatively easy to work by hand or machine, but the silica in the wood can dull cutting edges quickly. It turns well on a lathe and takes a finish well.

A curling pattern across the broad face of moabi.

Brownheart, brown by name and nature

Brownheart (Vouacapoua americana) grows in northeastern South America and is also known as wacapou. Its heartwood ranges from medium to deep brown, with lighter brown lines running through it. Unlike moabi’s fine, even surface, brownheart is characterized by clearly defined stripes.

Brownheart with pale sapwood remaining at one end of a deep brown board.

Fine, pale lines run closely through the deep brown background.

Another characteristic of this wood is the clear division between the pale sapwood at the edges and the dark heartwood, as though marked by a line. When sapwood remains along one side of a board, the boundary between the two colors becomes part of the pattern. It is relatively hard and heavy, so it can dull cutting edges easily, but its planed and smoothed surfaces take a good finish. In its native range, it has long been used for flooring, structural materials, and furniture.

A brownheart board with a distinct boundary between the heartwood and its pale edge.

A brownheart turning blank shaped to a length of 870 mm.

What should you make?

Both woods suit objects that remain in the hand for a long time, such as furniture components, handles, and turned wood accessories. If you want an even color and fine surface, moabi is the better choice; if you want to highlight stripes and color contrast, brownheart is the right fit. When these two woods, easily grouped together under the name “brown,” are placed side by side, it becomes clear that choosing which brown to use sets the mood of the finished piece.