Does it get much better than wood whose natural color is vibrant, bright, and unusual? The initial softer, duller greyish purple will develop into a much deeper shade of purple with age. As with cherry, time and light exposure will continue to darken the wood; unlike cherry, you may want to shield your Purpleheart from the sun so that it remains a healthy, vibrant purple. The grain is straight to wavy, but because of its particularly sticky natural oils, Purpleheart can be difficult to machine and can dull tools. There is no doubt in our minds that our Viking Lumberjack predecessors would have desired to use Purpleheart as decoration throughout homes, ships, and weapons.