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MESQUITE
Prosopis spp.
Prosopis spp. of the family Fabaceae (syn Leguminosae) the legume, pea, or bean family, including at least the following (this list is not comprehensive but is a good indication of the variety and the overlap of common names among species):
Prosopis alba (brown)
Prosopis alpataco (alpataco)
Prosopis casadensis (Bolivian)
Prosopis chilensis (Chilean, common, Mexican, Guatamalan)
Prosopis glandulosa (common, honey, velvet)
Prosopis juliflora (Arizona black, brown, common, honey pod, velvet, screwbean)
Prosopis kuntzei (itin)
Prosopis limensis
Prosopis nigra (black, Argentine black)
Prosopis odorata (screwbean, screwpod mesquite)
Prosopis pallida
Prosopis pubescens (screwbean)
Prosopis velutina (velvet)
my samples:
both sides of a sample plank of honey mesquite / Prosopis glandulosa
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above
both sides of a sample plank of honey mesquite / Prosopis glandulosa --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above
both sides of a sample plank of honey mesquite / Prosopis glandulosa --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
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both sides of a sample plank of itin / Prosopis kuntzei --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site. I note that the end grain characteristics of this species are notably different than those of the other Prosopis species by the absence of any heavy confluent parenchyma bands but I have found reference works that show some Prosopis species without confluent parenchyma (specifically Prosopis pallida) so perhaps it's OK.
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end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
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END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above
both sides of a sample plank of Argentine black mesquite / Prosopis nigra --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above
both sides of a sample plank of curly Argentine black mesquite / Prosopis nigra --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site. The curly is extremely tight and very hard to see in the pics but you can see some wavy grain in the small portion of the side grain on the left of the end grain pic and that pic makes the curl easier to see than the straight-on face grain shots.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above
both sides of a sample plank of velvet mesquite / Prosopis velutina --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above
both sides of a sample plank of velvet mequite / Prosopis velutina --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by Mark Peet whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above
mesquite from Arizona, generously donated to the site by Bill and Kathy Baumbeck of Arizona Silhouette. Thanks folks. The two planks are each shown with end grain and then there is an end grain closeup of each. Note that on the 2nd one, the side shows some ray flakes.
plank and end grain
end grain closeup (upside down) and END GRAIN UPDATE of the piece directly above
plank and end grain
end grain closeup and END GRAIN UPDATE of the piece directly above
end of Arizona mesquite
sample plank and end grain sold to me as mesquite / Prosopis juliflora --- NOTE: the color is shown incorrectly; it should be much more like the piece directly above, a reddish tan/brown.
end grain closeup of the piece directly above
END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above --- color is correct
both sides of a sample plank of mesquite / Prosopis juliflora --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above
both sides of a sample plank of mesquite / Prosopis juliflora --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
both sides of a sample plank of mesquite / Prosopis juliflora --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by Mark Peet whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above
plank and end grain of a piece purchased as "Argentine mesquite"
end grain closeup of the piece directly above and an END GRAIN UPDATE which is supposedly from the piece directly above but does not appear to be. Either it's from the other end or I got my records messed up. In any case it IS an end grain closeup of mesquite.
turning stick, about 2"x2"x8", and a face grain closeup --- huge enlargements are present
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above --- huge enlargements are present
cropped pic of a cutting board shot at a craft store
The Wood Book pics
flat cut, quartersawn, end grain
mesquite (Prosopis juliflora) from The Wood Book --- both levels of enlargement are available for all 3 views
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flat cut, quartersawn, end grain
screwpod mesquite (Prosopis odorata) from The Wood Book --- both levels of enlargement are available for all 3 views. Note that the flat cut piece is all sapwood
web pics:
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log ends
planks and slabs, just listed as "mesquite"
moistened slabs just listed as mesquite
slabs and closeup (note wet section)
the same slab shot in the shade and in direct sunlight
plank listed as mesquite but I am VERY dubious about the color on this one
several views of the same set of planks
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plank listed as Prosopis juliflora
Texas mesquite bowl blank
Texas mesquite log sections
Texas mesquite planks, bookmatched and remarkably clear of flaws for planks this large of this species
plank listed as Arizona mesquite
both sides of a plank
turning stock, all listed as black mesquite
figured turning stock, also listed as black mesquite
pen blanks
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black mesquite / Prosopis migra plank with wet and dry sections
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black mesquite plank (Prosopis migra) moistened for the pic
planks listed as "black" mesquite
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planks, all from the same vendor and all listed as "black" mesquite / Prosopis migra
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plank specifically listed as black mesquite, Prosopis nigra --- both enlargements are present
plank listed as black mesquite --- although not listed as curly and has a nice curl and is the only curly mesquite I ever remember seeing. I'm very dubious about the overly rich color.
plank listed as South American mesquite / Prosopis nigra
turning stock and bowl blanks listed as black mesquite / Prosopis nigra
planks listed as Argentine black mesquite
bookmatched pair of Argentine black mesquite
plank listed as "brown" mesquite
planks listed as "honey" mesquite
turning stock listed as honey mesquite / Prosopis alba
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pen blanks from honey mesquite milled in Texas
honey mesquite flooring
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plank specifically listed as honey mesquite, P alba
"screwbean" mesquite; so-called because the branches of the seed pods look something like a bean that has screw threads on it.
flooring listed as Argentine mesquite
scales just listed as mesquite
bowl blanks listed as just mesquite
several small mesquite planks that have been glued up to form a large surface
looks like a bookmatched crotch area, but it wasn't labeled as anything in particular
crotch
listed as mesquite burl but doesn't look like a burl to me
"honey" mesquite burl
a 12" diameter root ball
a root ball with a finished piece sitting on top of it
burls
both sides of a burl
burl scales --- the 2nd pic is of a bookmatched pair
bowls by Bryan Nelson (NelsonWood). Bryan fine-polishes his bowls with 1200 or even higher grit sandpaper while they are spinning at high speed on the lathe and then finishes them there with a friction polish of his own devising, thus achieving a shine and color vibrancy that is beautiful to behold. The first of these is 5" across, the 2nd is 7", and the 3rd is 11".
part of a coffee table
guitar set
bowl turned by Al Amstutz
bowls listed as Texas mesquite
hollow forms listed as Texas mesquite
rough-turned bowl blanks
bowls
both sides of a bowl that had a bit of a problem but still looks great, I think
bowl by Kathy Marshall
bowl listed as Texas honey mesquite
mesquite vase from very rough to rough to finished
both sides of a farmhouse pitcher with a laminated handle
three views of a Chilean mesquite bowl. The wood was harvested near Scottsdale, AZ and the bowl was turned by Lea Montaire, whom I thank for the excellent pics (enlargements are present and they really show the grain well). Lea tells me that while some Chilean mesquite tends to the purple-grey spectrum, especially when turned green and not yet finished, this particular bowl was turned from dry wood, and then oiled, which brings out the browns more. Chilean mesquite is usually a much darker spectrum than the honey or other domestic mesquite species.
lidded box made from Arizona mesquite
box made by Kathy Marshall
hollow forms, one burl and one natural edge
urn and vase
bookmatched planks used as a table top
box
bench
stool