While Shedua hails from the same genus as Bubinga, they are notably different in color, luster, and hardness. Shedua's grain is full of sharply defined stripes, coming in creamy chocolate browns, blackish browns, and yellowish browns. While the natural luster of Shedua is duller than Bubinga's, it finishes just as nicely. The Janka hardness rating for Shedua is 1750 but it remains relatively easy to work. Our Viking Lumberjack predecessors still preferred their wood a little softer when it came to shields - so that it had some give - but we think they still would have been fond of some Benge ornamentation for shields or ships.