Maple lumber collection
Clean, pale domestic alternative for furniture and utility builds.
View optionKatalox Wood Guide
Wood species guide · Imported specialty hardwood
Katalox 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 nameSwartzia cubensis
Janka hardness3,660 lbf
Average dried weight71.6 lb/ft³
Best fitInlays
Overview
Why choose Katalox?
Katalox is a imported specialty hardwood associated with Southern Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. It is useful when the project calls for inlays, fine furniture and cabinetry, parquet flooring, guitars, turnings, 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 nameSwartzia cubensis
DistributionSouthern Mexico, Central America, and northern South America
ShrinkageRadial: 3.9%, Tangential: 7.6% · Volumetric: 11.2%, T/R Ratio: 1.9
DurabilityVaries depending upon species, but generally very durable.
Katalox colour, grain, and figure
Expect heartwood is dark reddish brown to nearly black, sometimes with a strong purple hue. Sapwood is sharply demarcated and is pale yellowish white.
In practical selection, the grain and texture are best treated this way: grain is usually straight, but can also be irregular or interlocked. With a fine even texture and good natural luster.
Working notes
In the shop, katalox is typically considered difficult to work on account of its high density. The wood has a moderate to high blunting effect on cutters, and if there is interlocked grain present, tearout can occur during planing.
Katalox has been reported to cause respiratory irritation in some individuals.
Katalox should be sold by project fit: colour, workability, durability, and the format the customer actually needs.
Best uses for Katalox
Best projects
Inlays, fine furniture and cabinetry, parquet flooring, guitars, turnings, 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 Katalox 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.
Katalox FAQ
What is Katalox best used for?
Katalox is best considered for inlays, fine furniture and cabinetry, parquet flooring, guitars, turnings, and other small specialty items. Match it to the exact board format, colour, hardness, and finish plan before buying.
Is Katalox 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 Katalox?
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.