hardwood · Dalbergia retusa
Cocobolo wood properties
Also known as: cocabola, cocobola.
| Type | hardwood |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Dalbergia retusa |
| Modulus of elasticity (MOE) | 2,712,000 psi |
| Specific gravity | 1.10 |
| Density (approx) | 69 lb/ft³ (5.7 lb per board foot) |
| Janka hardness | 2,960 lbf |
| Shrinkage (tangential / radial) | 4.3% / 2.7% |
| Region | Central America |
A 1 in x 6 in x 8 ft board of Cocobolo weighs about 22.9 lb (roughly 69 lb per cubic foot). Its Janka hardness of 2,960 lbf is harder than about 94% of the woods in our database.
Uses and working notes
Common uses: fine furniture, musical instruments, turned objects, knife handles, specialty items.
Durability: Very durable; its natural oils strongly resist insects and repeated wet/dry cycling.
Workability: Tough work: heavy oils impede gluing, pigment bleeds while finishing, interlocked grain tears, and dust is famously allergenic.
Use this data
Similar woods
Woods with comparable hardness and density to Cocobolo:
How these numbers were sourced
MOE, SG (12% MC), Janka and shrinkage from The Wood Database (cites USDA FPL Wood Handbook). Not in the FPL/Hoadley dimensional-change table, so movement coefficients are omitted. Uses, region, durability, workability summarized from The Wood Database. Price indicative.
Values shown as estimates rather than sourced constants: typicalPricePerBF_usd.
Sources
These calculators are for planning and estimation. Engineering results (shelf sag, wood movement) use published average material properties; real boards vary by grade, grain, moisture and defects. Verify load-bearing designs with a professional.