Ekki/Azobe

Description

      As woods go, ekki is a workhorse. It is noted more for its impressive strength and difficulty in working than its appearance. These characteristics have resulted in a long list of practical rather than decorative uses. Ekki is classified as "exceptionally heavy" with a weight that averages 65 pounds per cubic foot. It is considered by many to be one of the most durable of all the African woods. 

Ekki's properties make it a perfect material for heavy construction or other uses where great strength and durability is needed. Typical applications for ekki include bridges, sea fences and river pilings because of the wood's strength and resistance to decay. It is also used for other forms of heavy-duty construction such as decking, railway sleepers, railroad cross ties, mine shaft guides, heavy-duty and parquet flooring, rollers, wagons and joinery. In addition to being durable, the wood is very acid-resistant, which makes it good for use in filter press plates and frames. Other reasons that the wood is so well suited to heavy construction and marine uses is that the wood is resistant to insect and fungal attack. Ekki might have more widespread use, but the wood is difficult to work with hand tools and poses some problems with machine tools, too. Ekki is so hard a wood that it severely blunts the surfaces of cutting tools. To combat this problem, experts recommend using strong, sharp cutting edges and reducing the cutting angle.

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The wood varies from a dark red to a dark brown, chocolate-like color with very pronounced white streaks and deposits in the pores. These white deposits can sometimes give the wood a speckled appearance and produce white streaks against a dark background. Its sapwood is clearly demarcated from the heartwood and is pale pink in color. Ekki can be finished satisfactorily, but the grain usually needs to be filled to get the best finishing results.

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Ekki's weight varies from 59 to 70 pounds per cubic foot making it exceptionally heavy and dense. To put the weight into perspective, other woods' average weight include: white oak, with an average weight of 47 pounds per cubic foot; hard maple, with an average weight of 45 pounds per cubic foot; and teak, with an average weight of 41 pounds per cubic foot.

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An ideal timber option where larger dimensions and longer lengths are required;

• Special Order Only – rough sawn or dressed in any dimension up to 12"x12" 

• Profiled in any dimension up to 12"x12"

• Ekki timbers are available in lengths to 39’