Sapele (Entandrophragma cylindricum) is a West and Central African hardwood in the same botanical family as mahogany, and it is widely sold as a mahogany alternative for doors, windows, furniture and guitars. This page compares it with genuine mahogany (Swietenia) and African mahogany (Khaya) using Wood Handbook data.
Sapele vs Mahogany: the numbers
| Property | Sapele | Genuine mahogany (Honduran / big-leaf) | African mahogany (khaya) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Janka side hardness, 12% MC | 1,510 lbf | 800 lbf | 830 lbf |
| Density at 12% MC | 42.0 lb/ft³* | 33.0 lb/ft³* | 31.0 lb/ft³* |
| Weight per board foot | 3.50 lb* | 2.75 lb* | 2.58 lb* |
| Bending strength (MOR), 12% MC | 15,300 psi | 11,500 psi | 10,700 psi |
| Stiffness (MOE), 12% MC | 1.82 million psi | 1.5 million psi | 1.4 million psi |
| Crushing strength parallel to grain | 8,160 psi | 6,780 psi | 6,460 psi |
| Shrinkage green to ovendry, tangential | 7.4% | 4.1% | 4.5% |
| Shrinkage, radial | 4.6% | 3.0% | 2.5% |
| Shrinkage, volumetric | 14.0% | 7.8% | 8.8% |
| Tangential / radial ratio (cupping tendency) | 1.61 | 1.37 | 1.8 |
| Width change per 1% MC, flatsawn (Table 13-5) | not tabulated | not tabulated | 0.201% |
| Heartwood decay resistance (Table 14-1) | moderately resistant | resistant | moderately resistant |
What the numbers mean
- Hardness: Sapele is 89% harder than Genuine mahogany (Honduran / big-leaf) (1,510 against 800 lbf), so it resists dents from furniture feet, dropped tools and wear correspondingly better.
- Weight: Sapele is 27% heavier. A 1 x 6 board 8 feet long (4 board feet nominal) weighs about 14.0 lb in sapele and 11.0 lb in genuine mahogany (honduran / big-leaf) at 12% moisture content.
- Strength and stiffness: Sapele is 33% stronger in bending and 21% stiffer. Stiffness is what decides how much a shelf of the same size sags under the same load.
- Movement: tangential shrinkage from green to ovendry is 7.4% for sapele and 4.1% for genuine mahogany (honduran / big-leaf); the lower figure means less seasonal movement across the width of a flatsawn board.
- Decay resistance of the heartwood: Sapele: moderately resistant; Genuine mahogany (Honduran / big-leaf): resistant; African mahogany (khaya): moderately resistant. Sapwood of every species has low decay resistance.
- The percentages above compare the first two columns; the table also lists African mahogany (khaya) for comparison.
Appearance, working and what to watch for
Sapele is noticeably harder and heavier than either mahogany: in the Handbook data it is almost twice as hard as genuine mahogany. Its interlocked grain gives the striking ribbon stripe on quartersawn boards, and a darker, more reddish-brown colour than most mahogany. The same interlocked grain makes it prone to tear-out when planing; a high cutting angle, sharp tools or a drum sander help.
The bigger practical difference is stability. Genuine mahogany has one of the lowest shrinkages and tangential-to-radial ratios of any commercial wood, which is why it was the standard for pattern making and fine joinery. Sapele shrinks considerably more, so wide panels and doors need good construction to allow for movement. For decay resistance the Handbook rates genuine mahogany heartwood resistant and sapele moderately resistant. Genuine mahogany is CITES-listed and costs more; sapele and African mahogany are the common substitutes.
Finishing and buying
Sapele finishes well but its ribbon figure can look blotchy under pigment stain; many finishers use a dye or leave it natural under oil or lacquer. Genuine mahogany takes stain and grain filler easily and darkens with age. When buying, ask for the botanical name: lumberyards also sell meranti and other woods as “mahogany”, and their properties differ. Legal genuine mahogany requires CITES export documentation, which reputable suppliers can show.
Which to choose: verdict by use
| Use | Better choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Exterior doors and windows | Sapele or genuine mahogany | Both used widely; mahogany is more stable and decay resistant, sapele harder and cheaper. |
| Furniture with ribbon figure | Sapele | Strong ribbon stripe on quartersawn boards. |
| Carving and pattern work | Genuine mahogany | Softer, very stable, carves crisply. |
| Table tops that take wear | Sapele | Almost twice as hard as genuine mahogany. |
| Budget mahogany look | African mahogany or sapele | Similar colour at lower cost and without CITES permits. |
Frequently asked questions
Is sapele a type of mahogany?
Botanically it is a different genus in the same family (Meliaceae) as genuine mahogany, and it is often sold as a mahogany substitute.
Is sapele harder than mahogany?
Yes. The Wood Handbook gives sapele 1,510 lbf of Janka hardness, genuine mahogany 800 lbf and African mahogany 830 lbf.
Is sapele good for outdoor use?
It is used for exterior doors and windows; its heartwood is rated moderately resistant. Keep it finished and maintained.
Sources and method
All property values are read from our parsed copy of the USDA Forest Products Laboratory Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material (FPL-GTR-190, 2010), a US Government publication in the public domain, the same data as the wood species database. The percentages and the board examples above are our arithmetic on those values. The values describe small, clear, straight-grained specimens: real boards with knots or sloping grain differ, and structural lumber is sized from graded design values in your local building code, not from this table.
- USDA Forest Products Laboratory. Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material. General Technical Report FPL-GTR-190, 2010. Chapter 2 (species descriptions), Chapter 4 (Tables 4-3, 4-4 shrinkage; Eq. 4-7, 4-9, 4-12 density), Chapter 5 (Tables 5-3b, 5-5b strength and hardness), Chapter 13 (Table 13-5 dimensional change coefficients), Chapter 14 (Table 14-1 decay resistance)
- USDA Forest Products Laboratory. Wood Handbook, 2021 edition (FPL-GTR-282)
Last reviewed: 24 October 2026. How we build and check our data: methodology and corrections. Spotted an error? Please let us know.