Why is African rosewood used by so many furniture factories to produce furniture and called mahogany?

Why is African rosewood used by so many furniture factories and marketed as mahogany? Some merchants sell fake rosewood as genuine, charging high prices and then forcing you to bargain – a result of trying to get a bargain. How can you buy genuine rosewood furniture? Chen Changwen from Zhongmu.com will first answer this question by discussing mahogany itself:

Actually, we need to understand the bigger picture. As everyone knows, genuine national standard rosewood is already a very scarce resource. China is the world's largest consumer of rosewood, and it has always been the first choice for Chinese furniture. Some of these materials were even reserved for the royal family in feudal society. With rosewood resources becoming increasingly depleted, and in response to the strong demand from the Chinese people, non-national standard rosewood has emerged. This is driven by demand and profit.

National standard rosewood generally comes from Southeast Asia and southern and central-western China. There is basically no domestic rosewood now. For example, Hainan rosewood is generally not used for furniture now. If there is any, it is used to make bracelets. Some of it is used for antique furniture. Nowadays, some collectors even collect old materials from demolished houses.

Good quality timber is mainly from Africa and South America, and its properties are generally good, so it is gradually being accepted by Chinese people. Southeast Asia's timber is currently under protection because Africa and South America are economically underdeveloped, so they are still exporting timber resources. Europe and North America basically export very little timber.

When buying rosewood furniture, as long as you have the right mindset and don't get swayed by inflated prices, materials from Africa or South America are also good choices. I often tell my clients that there's no best, only the most suitable. In reality, as long as the price and quality are commensurate, there's not much to worry about. Of course, it's always good to learn more about rosewood furniture, as the market is quite chaotic these days, and it's always wise to be cautious.