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Swartzia cubensis
Catalox
Known commercially as Mexican royal ebony — a near-black hardwood with a purple hue, prized as a sustainable, lower-cost alternative to African Gabon ebony.
View Selected InventoryAbout Catalox
Catalox is a dense, richly colored hardwood milled from Swartzia cubensis, traded internationally as Mexican royal ebony or northern rosewood. Its heartwood ranges from dark brown to reddish-brown to nearly black, often carrying a subtle purple cast that can run solid or variegated through the board. A sharp color break separates it from the pale yellow sapwood. The grain is tight and straight, with a texture running fine to medium and a natural medium luster — qualities that have made it a long-standing, more sustainable substitute for African Gabon ebony in fine work.
At a glance
- Katalox
- Mexican Royal Ebony
- Northern Rosewood
At a glance
- Origin
- Mesoamerica
- Category
- Outdoor Furniture · Musical Instruments · Flooring
- Best for
- Cabinetmaking, fine furniture, violin bows, guitars, inlay, parquet flooring, decorative veneer, turned items
- Working properties
- Responds excellently to planing, molding, and turning despite its high density. Difficult to nail and screw — pre-drilling is essential — and likely difficult to bond. Finishes to a high polish.
Spec sheet
Physical-mechanical properties
Physical-mechanical values for Catalox from the approved Final Content document.
Density
830 kg/mu00b3
MOE Flex u2014 Elastic Modulus
183600 kg/cmu00b3
RLE Flex u2014 Elastic Resistance Limit
700 kg/cmu00b2
RR Flex u2014 Rupture Resistance
1349 kg/cmu00b2
PMOE Com for u2014 Elastic Modulus, Compression Parallel
169110 kg/cmu00b2
PRLE Com for u2014 Elastic Resistance Limit, Compression Parallel
363 kg/cmu00b2
RR Com for u2014 Rupture Resistance
602 kg/cmu00b2
RLE Com for u2014 Elastic Resistance Limit, Perpendicular Compression
557 kg/cmu00b2
RR Shear for u2014 Rupture Resistance, Parallel Shear
602 kg/cmu00b2
JK Lateral u2014 Lateral Face Hardness
844 kg
JK Lateral u2014 Transverse Face Hardness
947 kg
Where it's used
Built for the demanding jobs
01 — Furniture
Indoor & outdoor furniture
02 — Flooring
Premium hardwood flooring
03 — Musical Instruments
Tonewood & musical instruments
04 — Marine
Marine decking & boat building
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