For architects and designers specifying Quartered Ribbon Sapele, please select the Premium option, with product number DSV-6762.
Sapele Quartered Ribbon Wood Veneer is a premium hardwood celebrated for its unique visual depth and outstanding consistency. As a close cousin to African Mahogany, Sapele offers a similar rich aesthetic but is distinguished by its dramatic, straight grain pattern, making it a highly attractive and more reasonably priced alternative for high-end applications.
Visual Characteristics: The Ribbon Stripe
This veneer is produced using the Quarter Cut (or Quarter Sawn) method. This process is essential for creating the signature aesthetic:
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Ribbon Stripe: The quartering method produces a strong, linear grain known as the "Ribbon Stripe." This figure is characterized by intense, regular bands of alternating light and dark reflection that change depending on the viewing angle.
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Pencil Stripe: Higher grades often feature a tighter, straighter grain referred to as the "pencil stripe" figure.
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Color Profile: Sapele presents a beautiful, rich dark reddish-brown tone that deepens with age, ensuring a spectacular finished piece.
Ideal for Large-Scale Architectural Projects
The Sapele tree is renowned for its massive size, a key advantage for large jobs:
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Sequencing: The large logs allow for many sheets to be cut sequentially, ensuring exceptional color and grain match over a very large surface area, such as custom wall paneling or entire rooms.
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Straight Grain: The straighter grain produced by the quartered cut makes it stable and easy to work with on large, flat surfaces.
Sapele is very often used for: furniture-making, cabinet-making, architectural paneling, and marquetry.
Sourcing and Nomenclature
Sapele is sourced from West and East Africa. It is known by several alternative spellings, including: Sapely, Sepele, Sapelli, Sapelle, and Sepelle.
Its common trade names include: Quarter Sawn or Quarter Cut Sapelwood and Aboudikrou.
