Color/Appearance: Heartwood tends to be a dark brown, sometimes with purplish patches, sometimes nearly black. Color tends to darken with age. Sapwood is a light yellow color.
Grain/Texture: Itin has a fine to medium texture and open pores, with a slight natural luster. Grain can be straight, wavy, or interlocked.
Endgrain: No data available. Most likely similar to Black Mesquite.
Rot Resistance: Itin is considered durable to very durable regarding decay resistance.
Workability: Itin can be more difficult to work than other species of mesquite in the Prosopis genuson account of its high density, but overall, it is manageable. Glues, turns, and finishes well.
Odor: Itin is said to have a fragrant odor while being worked.
Allergies/Toxicity: Woods in the Prosopis genushave been reported to cause skin irritation. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicityand Wood Dust Safetyfor more information.
Pricing/Availability: Itin only tends to be occasionally available: in small sizes, or as large irregular slabs; it may be sold under the generic term “mesquite.” Larger boards free from defects are uncommon. Prices for Itin are likely to be in the mid range for an imported tropical hardwood.
Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices, and is reported by the IUCN as being a species of least concern.
Common Uses: Flooring, firewood, turned objects, cabinetry, furniture, carvings, and other small specialty wood items.
Comments: Itin stands as the densest, hardest, and strongest of the mesquite species found in the Prosopis genus. Some pieces can be quite darkly colored and dense, and Itin has been suggested as an ebonysubstitute.
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