Purpleheart Wood Lumber – When freshly cut, Purpleheart is a dull grayish-purplish-brown. With drying and exposure, the wood becomes a deep eggplant purple. With further age and exposure to light, the wood becomes a dark brown with a hint of purple. This color-shift can be slowed and minimized by using a UV inhibiting finish. Purpleheart wood is used in turnery, cabinets, fine furniture, flooring, tool handles, heavy construction and shipbuilding. Purpleheart is very durable and resists both decay and most insects.

Workability: Purpleheart Wood Lumber can present some unique challenges. If worked with dull tools, or if cutter speeds are too high, it will exude a gummy resin that can clog tools and complicate the machining process. Depending on the grain orientation, can be difficult to plane without tearout. Purpleheart also has a moderate dulling effect on cutters.