Sheesham furniture

[Phil Pascoe]

When we move house, I've my eye on some beautiful sheesham furniture and will probably want to make some small, matching pieces - does anyone know if (1) it's available as timber, and if so,(2) is it stupidly expensive?
Thanks, Phil.

 

[No skills]

Interested in this myself as we have some shesham furniture I would like to add to in the future.

 

[tomatwark]

I think it is Indian Rosewood, yes it is available in the UK, but is expensive.

I suspect a lot of this furniture that is being sold in the UK and made abroad is made from illegally harvested wood and cheap labour.

I think that after the new law comes into force next year some of this furniture will disappear form the market.

http://www.cpet.org.uk/eutr

Tom

 

[Steve Maskery]

I'm not familiar with Sheesham, but if it is Indian Rosewood, read Padouk.
Lovely stuff, rightfully expensive. Yes, sadly, dodgy provenance.
S

 

[Mcluma]

yes its expensive, but there is a way arround it - at least that is what i did

you buy second hand furniture, and take it apart, the sheesham furniture is most of the time very poorly put together, so its easy to take apart, and then you have some nice boards to work with

This is then what you can accomplish


credenza13 by mcluma, on Flickr


credenza12 by mcluma, on Flickr


credenza14 by mcluma, on Flickr

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Chris - nice one! It is a rosewood - dalbergia sissoo - I suspect there is some illegal harvesting. It grow to large sizes, and in some states it's the commonest plantation tree after teak. It's also used as a fuel wood, so presumably not much value is attached to it.
Phil