While woodworking one may come across several different types of woods to choose from. Two of the most popular amongst them are rosewood and teak wood.
Furniture made with both these types of wood are in fashion. They each have their quality and structure.
Both the woods are on the rundown of endangered species, hence are exceptionally costly, and hard to obtain.
Key Takeaways
- Rosewood is a dense, dark hardwood with a distinct fragrance, while teak wood is a lighter, more golden-brown hardwood known for its durability.
- Teak wood is more resistant to decay, insects, and weathering than Rosewood.
- Rosewood is prized for its appearance in fine furniture and musical instruments, while teak wood is used in outdoor furniture, boatbuilding, and flooring.
Rosewood vs Teak Wood
Rosewood is darker in color and has a more intricate grain pattern, but it is less durable and more prone to scratches and dents. Teak is lighter in color and has a straighter grain, but it is much more durable and resistant to water and rot. Teak is also more expensive and rare than rosewood.
Rosewood is a reddish wood with a sweet rose scent. It is on the list of endangered species making it an expensive and rare find.
It is very durable although it is best suited for indoor furniture. It is also popularly used for the making of musical instruments.
Teak wood is a wood recognized due to its earthy tones and golden hue. It has a strong leather-like scent.
It is widely popular for its durability, due to that it is used for outdoor furniture. If proper care is taken it can endure forever.
Comparison Table
| Parameter of Comparison | Rosewood | Teak Wood |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Aniba rosaeodora | Tectona grandis |
| Botanical name | Dalbergia latifolia | Tectona grandis |
| Colour | Dark brown with a reddish hue | Dark brown with a yellowish or golden hue |
| Texture | Close and dense grain, silky smooth texture | Smooth and tight grain, hard texture |
| Durability | Less durable in comparison to teak wood | Exceptionally durable |
| Cost | Very expensive | Not as expensive as rosewood |
| Outdoor suitability | Not suitable for outdoor environment | Suitable for outdoor purpose |
| Scent | Sweet rich rose-like aroma | Strong leather-like smell |
What is Rosewood?
Rosewood is also popularly known by the name of Dalbergia latifolia. It is widely found in the lands of India and Indonesia; however, its presence might also be tracked down to Vietnam, the Philippines, and African nations namely Nigeria and Kenya.
Rosewood is a highly valued wood; it belongs on the list of endangered species.
Rosewood has a close and dense grain structure with a silky smooth texture. It has a very unique dark brown color with a reddish hue and visible dark-colored veins.
As the name suggests rosewood has a very noticeable sweet and rich aroma of rose that is one of its major uniqueness.
Rosewood as being a very durable and strong wood is used for making furniture. Apart from making furniture’s rosewood is also an excellent choice of wood for making musical instruments, such as guitars, marimbas, and pianos.
The residue that is left from sanding rosewood is known to be a very irritable particle. It can set off respiratory illnesses such as asthma.
Continued exposure to the particles can lead to increase sensitivity.
What is Teak Wood?
Teak wood, with the scientific name as Tectona grandis, is a local tropical plant found in Southeast Asia, precisely India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and particularly in Myanmar. Owing to its popularity and need, teak wood is also grown on ranches in Africa and the Caribbean.
Teak has a well-ordered and compressed grain structure, with a hard texture. Teak wood is brown-colored wood with ravishing yellow and golden hues.
Teak wood when newly cut or polished has a strong leather-like fragrance.
It is a very sturdy wood with great looks, as a result of which it is the most preferred option for making furniture. Teak has a very high oil content, due to which it can withstand outside climate being suitable for outdoor purposes.
Teak wood, therefore, is used to make outdoor decks, cuttings, entryways, and window casings.
Main Differences Between Rosewood and Teak Wood
- The scientific name for rosewood is Aniba rosaeodora, whereas the scientific name for teak wood is Tectona grandis.
- The botanical name for rosewood is Dalbergia latifolia, whereas the botanical name for teakwood is Tectona grandis.
- Rosewood is dark brown color with a reddish hue and visible dark veins. Teak wood, on the other hand, is a dark brown color with yellow or golden hues, while over the years as it ages it may mature to have a silver-grey finish.
- Rosewood has a thick and close grain structure making it solid and stronger. The teak wood has a smooth and tight grain structure.
- Teak wood is very popularly known for its durability. It tests as one of the strongest hardwoods. Rosewood, then again, should be sufficiently dried to be durable enough. Nonetheless, rosewood is also one of the hardest kinds of wood with hardness like teak. It provides high protection from decay and termite attack.
- Rosewood even though it might be as durable as teak wood, rosewood is not fit for the outside environment. Teakwood on the other hand is well known for its high oil content. Owing to its high oil content teak is known to be durable, the oil in the teak makes it climate-safe therefore being suitable for outside use.
- Rosewood is one of the most expensive kinds of wood, reasoning to its lack of availability. However, the price may vary according to the quality and type of rosewood. Teakwood is also an expensive variety of wood but it is not as expensive as rosewood.
- Rosewood, as the name suggests, has a very sweet rich aroma of a rose, whereas teak wood owing to its oil content produces a strong leather-like smell.
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1663/0013-0001(2004)058[0257:REITBA]2.0.CO;2
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10086-010-1164-8
Last Updated : 13 July, 2023
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
