Know Your Wood: Utile

Know your wood: Utile

The picture at left shows just a swatch of straight-grained Utile, or Sipo lumber, via The Wood Database.

Common trade names: Utile, Sipo, Sipo Mahogany,

Genus: Entandrophragma utile

Janka Hardness (pounds-force): 1260

Description: Similar in look and performance to mahogany, (and even trade named a mahogany—this is not a mahogany, but is a more than adequate substitute.) Sipo is colored reddish brown typically, and is commercially available worldwide. Many of the other names of this species are listed below, but Utile and Sipo are the ones predominantly used in the trade. Sipo’s grain ranges from straight to interlocking, depending upon the cut and growth of the tree. Sipo is commercially harvested and is not currently monitored as a vulnerable species.

Location: West Central and Central Africa, namely: Angola, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zaire.

Common Aliases: Sapele mahogany, Timbi, Mufumbi mahogany, Libuyu, Feather sapele, Efuchyewee, Budongo heavy mahogany, Akuk, Assi, Abebay

Performance: Utile is quite similar in performance to genuine mahogany, and it is a very close and acceptable substitute. It’s a durable, dense, and hard wood, and it has a high resistance to insect and detrimental effects of moisture. Sipo is a very high quality and relatively easy to work wood, given its overall performance and quality. Gluing might present some issues, and the wood can char if sharp tools are not maintained.

All you government haters out there feel free to stay away from the USDA link here, despite its taxpayer-funded value.

Common Uses: Cabinetry, decks, docks, shipbuilding, crates, interior furnishings, audio equipment, outdoor furniture, veneers, ground contact, paneling, turnings, and virtually any other project in need of a versatile and high-performing all-purpose lumber.

From: The Wood Database

Common Name(s): Utile, Sipo, Sipo Mahogany
Scientific Name: Entandrophragma utile
Distribution: West and Central Africa
Tree Size: 150-200 ft (45-60 m) tall, 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m) trunk diameter
Average Dried Weight: 41 lbs/ft3 (655 kg/m3)
Basic Specific Gravity: .52
Hardness: 1,260 lbf (5,610 N)
Rupture Strength: 14,350 lbf/in2 (98,970 kPa)
Elastic Strength: 1,585,000 lbf/in2 (10,930 MPa)
Crushing Strength: 8,330 lbf/in2 (57.4 MPa)
Shrinkage: Radial: 4.6%, Tangential: 6.4%, Volumetric: 11.0%, T/R Ratio: 1.4