Boxwood

Buxus macowanii
• Also known as |
African Boxwood|Boxwood
Boxwood lumber at Rare Woods USA

Boxwood (Buxus macowanii), also known as Cape Boxwood or East London Boxwood, is native to the Eastern Cape of South Africa. It’s a close cousin of the original European boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) and shares its most prized quality: a dense, ultra-fine texture that holds the crispest detail.

The wood is a pale, creamy yellow with almost no visible grain, so nothing competes with the carving or turning itself. It cuts cleanly with sharp tools, turns superbly and finishes to a smooth, silky sheen without much more than fine sanding and a light oil or wax.

The trees are small, rarely more than 20 feet tall with trunks of about 6 inches, and the dense wood is prone to cracking as it dries. That limits supply to small, craft-sized pieces. Ours comes from South Africa and has been slowly air-dried over many years for stability. Be wary of other pale, dense woods sold as boxwood.

Boxwood has long been the wood of choice for fine carving, engraving blocks, chess pieces, rulers and instrument parts, and it’s a favorite with turners for small, detailed work. For a more affordable alternative, see Castello Boxwood.

Not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Why We Love This Wood

Tight grain and high density let carvers capture the finest detail, and the silky-smooth finish makes it shine.

Client Creations
Quick Look
Boxwood lumber at Rare Woods USA
boxwood-in-action
boxwood
https://www.rarewoodsusa.pro/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/1000003593-wpcf_1024x1024-e1707135186203.jpg,https://www.rarewoodsusa.pro/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/1000003592-wpcf_1024x1024-e1707135215576.jpg,Juan Hovey https://www.rarewoodsusa.pro/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/BoxwoodPlaneCalebJames.png,https://www.rarewoodsusa.pro/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/BoxwoodPlaneCalebJames2.png,https://www.rarewoodsusa.pro/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/BoxwoodPlaneCalebJames3.png,Caleb James https://www.rarewoodsusa.pro/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/BoxwoodEvanJanekeCarving.jpg,Evan Janeke
A Popular Choice in
carving chess pieces handles musical Instruments specialty items turnings
Vital Statistics
Main Color GroupYellow / White
Grain Pattern Even
Avg Dry Weight - LB/BF5.1
Avg Dry Weight - KG/M3975
Janka Hardness - LBF2840
Janka Hardness - N12610
PRE-CUT SIZES (Boxwood)
4 results

Type

Dimensions

Grade

Price

https://www.rarewoodsusa.pro/product/turning-squares-boxwood/
boxwoodblanks
Boxwood 5

Turning Square

Options
AB

Price range: $8.00 through $17.00

yes

Select This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page

https://www.rarewoodsusa.pro/product/box_1x1-5x5_ea/
BOX 1X1.5X5 EA 1 1
Boxwood 6

Knife Block

5
1.5
1
A

$15.00

yes

Add

https://www.rarewoodsusa.pro/product/box_0-75x0-75x6_ea/
BOX_0.75X0.75X6_EA_1
Boxwood 7

Pen Blank

6
0.75
0.75
A

$4.00

yes

Add

https://www.rarewoodsusa.pro/product/box_0-75x0-75x5_ea/
BOX 0.75X0.75X5 EA 1 2
Boxwood 8

Pen Blank

5
0.75
0.75
A

$3.00

yes

Add

LUMBER PACKS (Boxwood)
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BOX1693_1
Boxwood
BOX1693
.9"
x 4.13" x
27.5"
| Grade: A
Knots. Minor bark inclusion.

$73.15

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BOX1691_1
Boxwood
BOX1691
.9"
x 4" x
23.88"
| Grade: AB
Knots. Bark inclusion.

$56.00

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BOX1690_1
Boxwood
BOX1690
.81"
x 3.75" x
26.5"
| Grade: AB
Minor check. Great color. Knots.

$58.50

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BOX1689_1
Boxwood
BOX1689
.82"
x 3.75" x
27.44"
| Grade: A
Bark inclusion. Great color.

$66.00

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BOX1688_1
Boxwood
BOX1688
.85"
x 3.5" x
27.38"
| Grade: AB
Knots. Bark inclusion. Surface defect.

$58.00

Add
BOX1687_1
Boxwood
BOX1687
.85"
x 4.5" x
26.75"
| Grade: AB
Width-4” on skinny. 5.5 on the thick. Knots. Bark inclusion.

$71.25

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BOX1685_1
Boxwood
BOX1685
.85"
x 5.5" x
26.63"
| Grade: AB
Skip plane. Knots. Bark inclusion.

$85.50

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BOX1684_1
Boxwood
BOX1684
.87"
x 4.5" x
27"
| Grade: B
3” at the skinny. 5.75” at the thicker part. Surface defect.

$63.68

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BOX1683_1
Boxwood
BOX1683
.93"
x 6.5" x
22.25"
| Grade: AB
Knots. Minor checks.

$86.50

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BOX1682_1
Boxwood
BOX1682
.93"
x 4.25" x
22.75"
| Grade: AB
Knots. Bark inclusion. Nice figure.

$57.25

Add
BOX1681_1
Boxwood
BOX1681
.93"
x 6.25" x
23"
| Grade: AB
Knots.

$86.50

Add
BOX1680_1
Boxwood
BOX1680
.93"
x 4.25" x
23.56"
| Grade: A
Bark inclusion. Knots. Live edge.

$65.18

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boxwoodblanks
Turning Squares - Boxwood
TURNBOX1001
| Grade: AB
Our Boxwood turning squares are limited to 1″ thick, due to availability. Quality is A to AB grade. The photographs are representative of the stock you will receive. You won’t typically received surfaced blanks, but we surface a few on the photographs to give you an idea of what the lumber looks like.

Price range: $8.00 through $17.00

Select This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
BOX1656_1
Boxwood
BOX1656
.88"
x 4.25" x
41.50"
| Grade: AB
excellent, figure, skip planing, great board.

$63.75

Add
BOX1654_1
Boxwood
BOX1654
.88"
x 4.63" x
41"
| Grade: AB
skip planing, knots, bark inclusions

$67.50

Add
boxwood
ALSO AVAILABLE (Boxwood)

Description

Grade

UOM

Price

Boxwood-Standard-4/4Live-edgedboards
4/4 Live-edged boards
Standard
lb
10
lb
no
Enquire
Boxwood-Standard-6/4Live-edgedboards

6/4 Live-edged boards

Standard
lb
11
lb
no
Enquire
Boxwood-Standard-8/4Live-edgedboards

8/4 Live-edged boards

Standard
lb
12
lb
no
Enquire