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ASH, TAMO

Fraxinus mandshurica and Fraxinus sieboldiana
Fraxinus mandshurica and Fraxinus sieboldiana of the family Oleaceae, the olive family

Also known as "Japanese ash" but not to be confused with the wood commonly called "sen" which is ALSO called "Japanese ash" (although it, unlike tamo, is NOT actually an ash). Not generally available as lumber in the USA but fairly readily available, albeit expensive, as a wildly swirly-grain veneer that sometimes exhibits the "peanut" figure for which it is most famous.

Unlike, for example "Spanish cedar" which is neither Spanish nor cedar, this "Japanese ash" really is an ash and it really does grow in Japan. So, you see, SOMETIMES common names make sense (but don't count on it).

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my samples:


veneer --- there is a little too much red in these pics


veneer sheet and closeup --- color is very accurate


more veneer --- accurate color this time, but with just a shade too much red (it's really more the color of the large sheet directly above)


several pics all from the same large sheet of tamo veneer --- there is slightly too much green and not quite enough red in these pics

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web pics


planks


plank closeup


veneer


bookmatched veneer


veneer --- this set of pictures is all from the same vendor, with fairly accurate colors, based on my experience. These are what is sometimes called "peanut" figure, although this is one of those designations that is used pretty loosely. True "peanut" figure tamo has bubble-like areas that really do look like a peanut shell (the double-nut "standard" goober shell) --- see directly below for a better example.


listed as "peanut" figure veneer


listed as "waterfall" tamo veneer


fiddleback veneer