604 - African Wenge

Size is 22mm x 22mm x 120mm.

The pen blanks have been kiln dried as a board before being trimmed to into pen blanks.

The natural growth range of the species is reported to be the open forests of Zaire, Cameroon, Gabon, the southern regions of Tanzania, and Mozambique. It is also found in the swampy forests of the Congo region.

The tree is described as medium sized, and attains a height of 50 to 60 feet (15 to 18 m) and a trunk diameter of 30 to 36 inches (75 to 100 cm).

The sapwood is pale yellow or whitish in color, and is clearly demarcated from the heartwood. The heartwood is dark brown, mostly black, with fine, closely spaced, very dark veins and white lines. The combination of white bands against the dark wood with black streaks gives Wenge a very attractive appearance. Color variation between boards is reported to be moderate.