Bocote (Cordia gerascanthus), euphemistic also called Rio Grande or Mexican rosewood, is a very decorative South American hardwood. It is usually only available in small sizes, as the tree rarely grows to a thickness of more than 40 cm. The beautiful grain features dark brown to black veins on a golden yellow to coffee brown background and ages to a beautiful warm brown base tone, which clearly contrasts with the black grain! The wood resembles rosewood species, although biologically it is not a member of the Dalbergia family. It is ideal for knife handles, polishes very well, and is always eye-catching! With its striking, zebra-like contrasts and wild grain, bocote is a very striking wood. By joining two mirrored boards or veneers, symmetrical, very distinctive grain patterns can be created. Bocote is used for its aesthetic properties rather than its mechanical properties, and although bocote is by no means soft, its weight is around 900 kg/m3.
