Snakewood (Piratinera guianensis) is one of the most fascinating woods of the north coast of South America. The tree grows in Guyana and Suriname, and is also found in northern Brazil. The main port of export is Paramaribo in Suriname. The tree is rarely thicker than 15-20 cm, older logs are plain grained inside, always cracked, and are valued nowhere near as high as the perfectly snakeskin mottled specimens. The name of the wood then always refers to this striking texture, it is also known as Leopardwood. The wood is extremely hard, heavy and dense, reddish-brown in color and ideally evenly interspersed with almost black, radially directed dark spots.
Snakewood is one of the very expensive woods and difficult to procure in good quality, a strong tendency to crack with difficult and slow drying and often just non-existent spotty grain make the procurement of very good pieces at high price and high demand a real problem.
A hint for good success: Snakewood is very difficult to work, and you must expect fine cracks to form spontaneously during processing. There is no snakewood without visible or invisible hairline cracks. Please do not expose the wood to sudden and strong temperature and humidity changes, the tendency of snakewood to crack is legendary...
