Bloodwood (Brosimum rubescens) is a dense, vivid red South American hardwood named for its striking, blood-red heartwood color. It is used for decorative accents, inlays, knife handles, turning, musical instrument components, and mixed-species cutting boards where its intense color provides dramatic visual contrast.

Bloodwood has an intensely vivid red to deep crimson heartwood that is one of the most saturated natural reds of any commercially available wood. Unlike Padauk, which fades relatively quickly, Bloodwood's red color is more stable and maintains its intensity reasonably well over time with proper UV-protective finishing.

Bloodwood has a Janka hardness of 2,900 lbf (12,900 N), making it an extremely hard tropical hardwood harder than most domestic species and many other exotics. Its density makes it very durable for high-wear applications but also more challenging to work with standard tooling.

Bloodwood is used as a decorative accent in mixed-species cutting boards, where its vivid red color creates striking visual contrast against lighter woods like maple or lighter exotics. Its hardness makes it durable, and it is generally considered food-safe when properly finished with food-safe oils or wax.

Bloodwood (Brosimum rubescens) is native to the tropical forests of South America, particularly in Brazil, Venezuela, Suriname, and Guyana. It grows in lowland tropical rainforests and is exported as a specialty exotic lumber and turning stock.

Bloodwood is moderately to very difficult to work due to its extreme hardness and density. It dulls tools quickly, requires carbide tooling, and can be difficult to glue due to its natural oils. Despite this, it turns very well and polishes to a beautiful, smooth surface that showcases its vivid color.

Bloodwood maintains its red color better than many other red woods like Padauk. However, some darkening and deepening of the red tone does occur with age and UV exposure. Applying a UV-inhibiting finish significantly slows the color change and preserves the vivid red appearance for longer periods.

UV-inhibiting oil-based finishes or lacquers with UV filters work best for Bloodwood to preserve its vivid red color. The surface should be degreased before finishing due to the wood's natural oils. CA glue friction polish is popular for turned Bloodwood items like pens, producing a high-gloss finish quickly.

Bloodwood is not currently listed under CITES, but as with all tropical hardwoods, sourcing from FSC-certified or verified legal suppliers is strongly recommended. Its tropical origin means habitat and harvesting pressures should be considered when making purchasing decisions.

Bloodwood is primarily used as a decorative accent wood in inlays, stringing, cutting board strips, knife handles, pen blanks, and turning. Its intense red color makes small amounts of Bloodwood have an outsized visual impact in mixed-species projects, jewelry boxes, and fine decorative work.