Tropical Hardwoods: past, Present and some thoughts on their future development

Being an address by John Osgood of Robert S. Osgood,Inc. of Los Angeles, to the Forest Products Research - Society meeting at Anaheim, Ca., on June 26.

TT is a cliche to say that there is I nothing new about imported tropical hardwoods. Any lover of timber or things made of wood can see what was done centuries ago with African and/or Latin American mahogany, rosewood, ebony and the myriad other species which were associated even in the lTth Century with cabinetry and furniture. A psychological heritage was built up centuries ago that gave tropical hardwoods a certain glamour and romance. It is interesting to note that it has been only in the past barely 20 years that tropical hardwoods have become a commodity rather than a specialty.

Even as late as the 1920s, when a small cadre of pioneers began the promotion of Philippine mahogany, there was still so much unique appeal to Philippine mahogany that it was used in large quantity by the Grand Rapids and better Carolina/Virginia furniture manufacturers almost in the same way that walnut, oak or pecan is used today.

Let's not forget that all during this period many species of excellent tropical hardwoods were being shipped from Africa, primarily to Europe but certainly in meaningful quantities to North America. Many of these woods have a longer history of marketing than any of the Southeast Asian tropical woods. The same thing could be said to at least some extent about some South American species. This brings us up to the Second World War when anything coming from the Orient, Africa or even South America was stopped; suddenly and completely.

Story at a Glance

What market demand has done in the recent past and today outlook for sources balanced against political, relioious strife in Africa, Asia; thi potential of South America as a major new source .. decline of mutual trust between suppliers and importers as market rose, then declined.

For roughly five years after the resumption of business, say L9471952, the tropical hardwoods industry was conducted in very close to the traditional pre-war m-anner. Very suddenly in the early 1950s the entire industry went through an almost total change. Several things happened that, in my view, were responsible for most of these changes.

First, the American market was growing and accordingly the demand/supply balance got even more out of kilter and an increasing amount of imported timber was needed. There was a real need for a greater supply of lumber and Southeast Asia reallv started to come on strong as a source of supply. Africa was still very much involved with the European market with the exception of the top grade species which found their way into the eastern United States but not nearly in the same mushrooming proportions.

Along about this time, it became evident that there were lots and lots of trees in the Orient and thanks to a complete rebuilding following the War of the Japanese industry which, I must add, got plenty of impetus from the Korean War as well, there was a multitude of new machinery and factories to make products out of these logs.

The abrupt shift in demand from stile and rail panel doors to flush doors suddenly created a great demand for Philippine mahogany doorskins which the American plywood producers were generally unable to, and/or unwilling to, supplv.

It is interesting to note that the term "Philippine mahogany" had by then finally attained acceptance in the American marketplace. There had been a great number of legal battles to get the right to use the term "Phillippine mahogany" which had finally been rvon. The ironic part is that almost at this same time, the special or romantic name of Philippine mahogany suddenly turned into Lauan. So much of the Shorea species was suddenly arriving in the United States as lumber or plywood that the romance was gone and ever since we have dealt with lauan which (Please tunl' to page 42)