Tropical Hardwood Cube

Hardwoods are structurally more complex than softwoods like pine, and set apart by the presence of pores or capillaries, which you can just see here on the end grain. This wood is heavy and dense with a beautiful deep dark colour. It is hard enough to be precisely machine cut and has been polished to give it lustrous surfaces and sharp edges. Due to their density and natural oils, tropical hardwoods are usually insect, weather and moisture resistant. Tropical hardwoods are becoming very rare, due to the destruction of ancient forests through non-sustainable logging methods and the conversion of the land for agriculture. Most species, like teak, mahogany and Brazilian cherry are endangered: some are now extinct. Hardwoods are still grown in the Americas, and sold at high prices for luxury yachts and top-end grand pianos.