Makore

Reclaimed parquet flooring

Makore ( Tieghemella heckelii  and Tieghemella africana)

Makore is an African redwood from western Africa. Grown in Nigeria (where it is called agamokwe) and Ghana (known as abaku and baku). The wood also comes from Cameroon and Gabon where the local name is douka. As well as from Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, the Ivory Coast and Liberia. The trees grow from 120-150 ft (37 – 45 m) with a diameter of 4 ft (1.2 m).

Although rarely used now, the trade names for this wood were Cherry Mahogany or African Cherry.

Makore characteristics

The heartwood of Makore has pink-red to rich red-brown tones and the sapwood is a little paler. This wood resembles close-grained mahogany. Generally the timber will have straight grain although it can be interlocked producing a mottled effect. You can also get watered-silk effects with the grain, which are very attractive. The wood displays an excellent, sometimes lustrous finish.

This is a quite hard, dense timber with good strength qualities and excellent stability (small movement in service). When worked it has no specific odour.

The seed kernels (called baco) are rich in an edible fat called ‘dumori butter’ or ‘makore butter’ and this butter is locally popular as a cooking or seasoning oil, often preferred to palm oil.

Commonly used for furniture and cabinet work, especially veneers as well as other joinery, also used in boat-building and of course, flooring.

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