African Blackwood

African Blackwood, or Grenadilla, is one of the most popular woods for making musical instruments. Its natural habitat is East Africa, primarily Mozambique and Tanzania. One of the most precious and expensive woods, its colour, once processed, ranges from scarlet-brown to deep black. It has a fine texture and an oily shine. It is very hard and heavy, but has far more favourable qualities than other dark woods, like Ebony.

Bubinga

Bubinga, or African Rosewood, is a  beautifully grained wood that comes from West Africa, the region stretching from eastern Nigeria to Gabon and the Congo. It has excellent static and dynamically firm characteristics. Easy to bend, it is resistant to impact. In spite of its hardness, it is easy to handle, saw, cut, and pare. Its hardness and ability to keep its shape makes it very suitable for flutes.

Tigerwood

Tigerwood, or Muaricatiara, Goncalo Alves, grows in Brazil’s Amazonian rainforests. Its beautiful graining makes it popular in the decorative industry. Its excellent shape-keeping ability and its hardness make it a suitable flute material.