Cambodian Rosewood: Dalbergia Bariensis

Known as Neang Noun (pronounced "nang noon") in Cambodia, dalbergia bariensis is the most prized of the fine rosewoods of Southeast Asia, and one of several species traditionally collectively known as Siam Rosewood. A second species lumped under the generic name of Siam Rosewood is dalbergia cochinchinensis; we carry both, but dalbergia bariensis is our primary wood, intended for musical instruments. (Actually, there are at least two other species that are also known as Siam Rosewood and are occasionally available: d. olivera, and d. cultrata.)

Air-Dryed in Log Form

Our rosewood is not kiln dried. Because it arrives in Canada in canted-log form, its moisture content varies, but it tends to be reasonably dry (around 22%), and our experience is that it is already dimensionally quite stable. After cut into boards, it air dries quite quickly, especially considering that it is a very dense wood. For our guitar sets (cut approximately 5 mm thick), the moisture content will reach 11% within 2-3 weeks, and it will reach equilibrium at 7% within another month (if stored indoors in our coastal climate).

By the way, this wood is lovely to work with at any moisture content, but it is somewhat easier to saw before completely drying. So we tend to cut it as close as possible to the finished dimensions we need, and then let it dry.

Very Fine-Grained and Smooth

This fine-grained wood is harvested from the jungles and has all the qualities of the best rosewood available in the world. The growth rings are very finely spaced, so that the grain is extremely tight and smooth.

Although all rosewoods are classified as "open-grain", this rosewood is less so than most. On close examination, the open grains are extremely small - considerably smaller than those of Madagascar rosewood. (We have only looked at a cross section of samples, which are somewhat inconsistent, perhaps because the name Madagascar is often used to describe not just one species, but several species of dalbergia.) I have had instrument makers describe our dalbergia bariensis as "glass-like" in referring to the smooth, close and very finely open grain. That implies that it creates an acoustically highly reflective surface, but the proof is "in the pudding."

Dense and Hard

It is highly consistent in density, and of course the wood is very, very hard. On the Janka hardness scale it is consistently 2700 (pounds force) on side grain and 2500 on the end of the grain. Apart from its beauty and rareness, its extreme hardness would be excellent for a special section of flooring, and some of our offcuts could be used in this way.

The wood is extremely heavy, with a "basic specific gravity" (oven weight/green volume) ranging from 0.94 to 0.97, or roughly 72 pounds per cubic foot at 10% moisture content). (Be aware that many people make statements about weight and specific gravity that are based on incorrect calculations.)

I've assembled the following table from a consensus among reputable published papers. Because most species vary in density, some data is "averaged". You will certainly find exceptions in any species. (We have not found any papers on Bariensis; thus that data is our own.) You will note that the list is in decreasing order of density.

Common Name	Genus & Species	Basic Specific Gravity	Hardness (Janka)
African Blackwood	dalbergia melanoxylon	1.08	unknown
Cambodian Rosewood	dalbergia bariensis	0.94	2700
Cocobolo	dalbergia retusa	0.89	unknown
Honduran Rosewood	dalbergia stevensonii	0.82	2200
Indian Rosewood	dalbergia latifolia	0.70	2400
Brazilian Rosewood	dalbergia nigra	0.68	2580

Bariensis is also very rigid, but not brittle. (It bends very nicely without cracking.) A stringed instrument maker can expect to be able to sand or carve it until it is very thin, and it will retain rigidity, allowing the superb tonal quality to be uncompromised by heavy bracing.

Rich Brown Colour

The colour tends to range from light to deep brown. Most of it is quite consistently medium brown, but the shades can range from light like Honduran Rosewood to quite dark like Brazilian. This is not typically a reddish rosewood - usually less so than Indian Rosewood, and less brightly coloured than most cocobolo. Of course, there are exceptions (as per the second photo down) and you can make it very dark if you let it oxidize. We even have some logs with extreme variation in figure and colour, including some that are almost (stunningly) black. (No, these are not transplanted African Blackwood, but are almost as dark and hard!.)

Excellent Workability

We have worked with the wood, and it is very easy and satisfying to machine, although cutting is understandably slow. Unlike cocobolo, it is not very oily, and it glues very well with ordinary wood glue (although most instrument makers recommend the best of modern glues be used with all rosewoods). In fact, it is less oily than even Indian rosewood. Our bowl turner (example shown in above right photo) found it was very nice to carve, and did that bowl in about an hour, with sharp tools!

Darkening the Wood

Be aware that rosewood will darken with age, if it is allowed to oxidize. Most people enjoy it becoming deeper and richer in appearance. Bariensis oxidizes and becomes darker particularly fast and will continue to darken almost indefinitely if not sealed from the air. Of the two guitars shown on our home page, the darker one was left to oxidize for about two months. That oxidation accounts almost entirely for the shade difference.

We recommend that you do a complete sanding whenever you return to the fine finishing stage in your project, rather than spot-sanding. Spot sanding will possibly reveal a lighter color beneath the darker (oxidized) surface, and you will end up with an uneven appearance. (Oxidation will penetrate below the surface over time - it is not necessarily a superficial effect.)

If you want a darker appearance to your project, simply let it sit for a few weeks after it is completely sanded. It is not necessary to leave it in the sunlight to accomplish this. In fact, we suggest you keep it out of direct light so that you get even oxidation over the entire piece, rather than darkening that is uneven due to the assistance of UV radiation!

Safety Concerns

In our experience, it is not a big roblem wood (unlike cocobolo), and contact dermatitis or other skin-contact problems are probably rare. This may be due to bariensis' very low oil content. Naturally, we recommend standard workshop safety procedures with all woods, especially rosewoods, particularly when fine sanding. You definitely don't want to breathe these woods (or any woods) for prolonged periods. Please Note: We cannot warrant that it is safe for all persons, so please work this wood with caution.

About the Photos

The photo immediately below the bowl is a closup of a board that we simply cut and wet (with water) to simulate a natural finish. It shows the stunning color of some of this wood. This is part of a flat-sawn plank, about 8 inches across (and almost filling the photo).

The pieces shown at the third photo were easily cut with a small table saw. The small block, which is quarter-sawn was cut from the bottom of the large block (about 12 inches in length) and is used to show what it would be like for flooring. This piece was quickly rough sanded and a floor wax was rubbed on - that's all. What you see is the natural color. (Zoom in on the photo for a closeup.) People love to handle this piece; the heft, balance, and smoothness is very surprising and satisfying.

The photo mid-way up this page shows a full plank that is a 3-inch thick "slice" from one of our larger logs. It is approximately 14 inches in width, and you can see the light-coloured sapwood on the edges. It's the same board you can see on our home page. For a closeup of the grain, click here. The logs you see to the left and in the background are part of our inventory.

The two photos on the bottom-right show closeups of the grain of two boards that have been rough-cut, unsanded, unfinished in any way. (There is some reflection of our camera flash toward the bottom of one photo.) Bariensis is generally very consistent in color and figure, but as you can see, it can vary too. The board in the bottom photo is not typical. It has much more pronounced black lines than is usual in this species, and this has been accentuated by "rift" cutting (midway between flat-sawn and quarter-sawn). It may be less stable than 100% quartered wood, but some guitar makers and players love the look, and we can't blame them! Of course, we always strive for 100% quartered, but the rift-sawn stuff is still great quality.

In contrast to these two pictures, the plank that is on-end in the photo just above these boards is definitely flat-sawn. You can see the wild ring pattern that cutting style induces. (Click on that photo for a closeup.)

We will add more pictures and information to this page as time allows.