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MESQUITE

Prosopis spp.
Includes 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.

P. alba (brown)
P. alpataco (alpataco)
P. casadensis (Bolivian)
P. chilensis (Chilean, common)
P. fuliflora
P. glandulosa (common, honey, velvet)
P. juliflora (Arizona black, brown, common, velvet, screwbean)
P. kuntzei (itin)
P. limensis
P. nigra (black, Argentine black)
P. pallida
P. pubescens (screwbean)
P. velutina (velvet)

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my samples:



mesquite from Arizona, generously donated to the site by Bill and Kathy Baumbeck of Arizona Silhouette. The two planks are each shown with end grain and then there is an end grain closeup of each. The end grain closeup are a little too dark but the other pics are quite accurate in color. Note that on the 2nd one, the side shows some ray flakes. I was a little surprized at how light the pieces are, since I previously had the impression that mesquite was quite dense. These are my first samples, although now that I think about it, I have held chips that were sold for barbeque smoking, and they were quite light. The web pic below that very closely resembles these pieces is labeled "black" mesquite.


sample plank and end grain


end grain closeup of the piece directly above


plank and end grain of a piece purchased as "Argentine mesquite"


end grain closeup of the piece directly above

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web pics:


planks, just listed as "mesquite"


Texas mesquite bowl blank


Texas mesquite log sections


both sides of a plank


turning stock, all listed as black mesquite


figured turning stock, also listed as black mesquite


pen blanks


"black" msequite planks


planks listed as Argentine black mesquite


"brown" mesquite plank


"honey" mesquite planks


"screwbean" mesquite; so-called because the branches of the seed pods look something like a bean that has screw threads on it.


several small mesquite planks that have been glued up to form a large surface


looks like a bookmatched crotch area, but it wasn't labled 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


burl

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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


bowl listed as Texas mesquite


rough-turned bowl blanks


bowl


burl bowl