This gorgeous, premium wood displays a variety of colors and patterns within the grain. The heartwood is striking: pinks transition smoothly into reds, streaks of violet and black cut in, and altogether can produce a holographic appearance when moved under light. The grain can come in nearly any pattern you may see in another wood - straight and even, flamed, pommele -and presents beautifully across them all. Like many of our premium woods, gluing and final protective finishes can prove more difficult due to the wood's abundant natural oils. Bubinga has a Janka scale rating of 2410, putting it above woods such as Hickory (1820) and Santos Mahogany (2200). Adventure Chests made of Bubinga are noticeably heavier than our other woods, so we figure our Viking Lumberjack predecessors would have preferred this wood for furniture and other decorative items. Sanding out imperfections may take a bit longer than other woods - certainly longer than the soft Black Walnut -but it is not especially difficult to work.