Maple lumber collection
Clean, pale domestic alternative for furniture and utility builds.
View optionBeefwood Wood Guide
Wood species guide · Imported specialty hardwood
Beefwood is best understood by how it looks, how it works, and where it should be used. This guide explains the practical buying details before sending you to the right Kingma products.
Scientific nameGrevillea striata
Janka hardness2,420 lbf
Average dried weight60 lb/ft³
Best fitInlay
Overview
Why choose Beefwood?
Beefwood is a imported specialty hardwood associated with Western Australia. It is useful when the project calls for inlay, marquetry, turned objects, and other small specialty items
For SEO and customer usefulness, this page separates the science from the buying decision: appearance, working behaviour, durability, project fit, and then the right Kingma shopping path.
Scientific nameGrevillea striata
DistributionWestern Australia
ShrinkageRadial: 3.5%, Tangential: 5.8%, Volumetric: 9.3%, T/R Ratio: 1.7
DurabilityNo data available.
Beefwood colour, grain, and figure
Expect beefwood is a medium to dark reddish brown with lighter reddish grey rays, (perhaps giving it a visual similarity to raw beef: hence the name). Like other woods that exhibit the strongest figure in quartersawn pieces, (such as Sycamore ), Beefwood has the most pronounced figure and displays the largest flecks when perfectly quartersawn; this is due to the wood’s large medullary rays , whose layout can be seen the clearest when looking at the endgrain.
In practical selection, the grain and texture are best treated this way: has a fairly coarse texture and straight grain.
Working notes
In the shop, fairly difficult to work because of its high density and tendency to tearout during planing. Beefwood turns, glues, and finishes well.
Although there have been no adverse health effects specifically reported for Beefwood, the closely related Southern Silky Oak (Grevillea robusta) has been reported to cause eye and skin irritation.
Beefwood should be sold by project fit: colour, workability, durability, and the format the customer actually needs.
Best uses for Beefwood
Best projects
Inlay, marquetry, turned objects, and other small specialty items
Use caution
Avoid specifying it by name alone; confirm board size, moisture, colour, figure, and the project environment before buying.
Finish strategy
Test finishes on offcuts first, especially when colour, blotching, outdoor exposure, or grain filling matters.
Buying note
Choose boards, slabs, plywood, blanks, or posts based on the project rather than species name alone.
Shop path
Buying Beefwood from Kingma
Start with the direct species match when Kingma sells it. If stock rotates, use the closest live collection or a clearly explained alternative.
Live edge slabs
Use when the customer cares more about slab format and visual impact than this exact species.
View optionSimilar woods and alternatives
If Kingma does not have an exact match online, use the buying links below as practical alternatives only when the colour, grain, hardness, or project environment makes sense.
Beefwood FAQ
What is Beefwood best used for?
Beefwood is best considered for inlay, marquetry, turned objects, and other small specialty items. Match it to the exact board format, colour, hardness, and finish plan before buying.
Is Beefwood beginner friendly?
It depends on density, grain direction, and tooling. Test cuts on offcuts first, and choose Maple, Cherry, Walnut, or Poplar when easier machining is the priority.
Does Kingma sell Beefwood?
Use the buying section on this page. If an exact product is not listed, the linked alternatives are included only when they make practical sense for colour, grain, or project use.