Matching mahogany question

[Kudzu]

I have to order a couple of sheets of plywood soon and I want to order my mahogany at the same time. I am in North Alabama and I am not going to find anything near me, I will have to order it sight unseen.

I am replacing the rear seat and some trim pieces in a 1963 CC Sea Skiff. If I am not mistake they were built with what they referred to as Philippine Mahogany originally. Not sure what that actually was.

What is available that will give me a good match? Any suppliers stand out since I have to make this purchase blind? I know a couple of names that have been in business for years but nothing beats actual experience.

Thanks in advance.

[Hugh MacD]

The guys up at Edensaw in Port Townsend , Washington might be able to match something up (approximately) if you sent them a photo...or perhaps someplace closer...they're kind of a long way off from Alabama. But I think a photo will help. Unfortunately the pics on the Wood Database for Mahogany aren't very good.

[TerryLL]

You might have better luck buying a light-colored plywood like okoume and staining it to match the mahogany.

[Larks]

Even if you were able to match the same type of Mahogany you’d most likely find that you’d need to stain it to get a decent colour match anyway. We’ve “batch" bought Mahogany for commercial fit-touts but it has always required a certain level of messing with colour-wise where a perfectly even colour match was called for.

[Kudzu]

OK, that was a bit misleading.

The plywood doesn't have to match the mahogany. I am just ordering them at the same time to save freight. The plywood is going to be covered.

Just wanting to find some mahogany that will reasonably match the mahogany used in the boat. Color isn't so much an issue, it is all stained.

Sorry for that confussion.

[Larks]

"Philippine Mahogany” could be anything really, over than an actual Mahogany. Meranti is often referred to as Philippine Mahogany so that may well be what you have.

[David G]

I have to order a couple of sheets of plywood soon and I want to order my mahogany at the same time. I am in North Alabama and I am not going to find anything near me, I will have to order it sight unseen.

I am replacing the rear seat and some trim pieces in a 1963 CC Sea Skiff. If I am not mistake they were built with what they referred to as Philippine Mahogany originally. Not sure what that actually was.

What is available that will give me a good match? Any suppliers stand out since I have to make this purchase blind? I know a couple of names that have been in business for years but nothing beats actual experience.

Thanks in advance.

In '63, the 'Philippine Mahogany' plywood used any of a wide range of Shorea species. The colors ranged from a pale wheat to the rich dark red/brown that we currently call Dark Red Meranti. So any attempt at color matching would require a mess of fotos. Or, much preferably, an eyeball.

The good news is that the grains were similar enough that pretty much any of the similar species can be stained to look similar. How similar? That's determined largely by how much time and skill you bring to the matching process.

The closest place I know of to you, that also offers excellent technical help, is McIlvain's

https://www.mcilvain.com/contact-us/

Then Boulter outside of Boston.

https://www.boulterplywood.com/

Edensaw is an excellent resource, but furthest from you - which can impact shipping costs

http://www.edensaw.com/

[SMARTINSEN]

Perhaps not for marine plywood, but surely there must be suppliers of mahogany in the Birmingham or Huntsville area that you could go to in person to see and select the best boards?

[Dale R. Hamilton]

Consider buying an old junk boat that's trimmed out in mahogany. Probably get it free from your local boat yard. The mahogany that remains is probably pretty good quality.

[Kudzu]

Perhaps not for marine plywood, but surely there must be suppliers of mahogany in the Birmingham or Huntsville area that you could go to in person to see and select the best boards?

Hate to admit it but I didn't even think of that. I was so focused on 'marine' I didn't even think of the local suppliers I use for furniture woods.

[John Meachen]

I have to admit that on the rare occasions I get to handle a piece of mahogany it slightly surprises me just how pink it is.The brown stained mahogany furniture we see is a long way from the natural shade.The nearest in plywood was Khaya and I haven't seen any of that in years.

[Larks]

At the risk of repeating myself: “Philippine Mahogany” is more likely Meranti...or Shorea.... than any sort of actual Mahogany