Species Guide
Wenge
Countertops, tabletops & shelving — cut to your size
Chocolate-black with fine straight striping — the honest way to a near-black top, and one of the hardest boards we mill.
1,930Janka hardness (lbf)4wenge productsfrom $40entry price100%solid wood
Origin
Central Africa
Color
Chocolate black with fine striping
Grain
Straight, disciplined, partridge figure
Best for
Strict modern counters, desks, shelving
Hardness
1,930 lbf Janka
Price band
$$
Outdoors
Interior use
Finish
Food-safe zero-VOC hardwax oil
Where It Belongs
Wenge is chocolate-black with fine straight striping and, at 1,930 Janka, the hardest board in the shop. It is the modernist's dark species — where Black Oak is drama, wenge is discipline: counters, desks, and shelving in strict contemporary rooms.
Natural vs. Stain
Natural, always — the near-black is the wood itself, so wear never exposes a different color underneath the way stained-dark boards can.
Built in Wenge
Every wenge piece we build
Countertops
Kitchens, islands, bars, and vanities — milled to your template, sink and stove cutouts included.Tabletops
Dining, desk, and conference tops for your own base — sized to the quarter inch.Round Tabletops
True-circle tops cut on the CNC, from bistro to full dining rounds.Shelfs
Floating shelves on the concealed 300 lb Hovr bracket, straight or live edge.Want to feel it first? Order a wenge sample › or compare all fifteen woods in the species guide ›
Questions
Wenge FAQ
How hard is wenge?
Wenge measures 1,930 lbf on the Janka hardness scale — among the hardest boards we mill, more than durable enough for daily kitchen and commercial use.
Is your wenge solid wood or veneer?
Solid, always. Every wenge piece is milled from full-thickness hardwood boards in our New York shop — no veneer, no plywood core, no composites — which is why it can be sanded and refinished for decades.
Can I get wenge in a custom size?
Yes — length, width, and thickness to the quarter inch, priced instantly in the Builder. Current lead time is 10–12 weeks, and every piece ships crated, nationwide.
How do I care for a wenge surface?
Every piece ships finished in food-safe, zero-VOC hardwax oil: wipe with a damp cloth day to day, and re-oil high-use surfaces about once a year. Scratches sand out and re-oil invisibly — the advantage of solid wood.
Do you take on custom or one-off projects?
Yes. Beyond the online builder, we take on custom sizes, oversized pieces, matched commercial runs, and bespoke solid-hardwood millwork. Tell us what you have in mind and we’ll quote it by hand, usually within one business day. Start a custom project ›
Milled to Order in New York
Wenge, cut to your project.
Open the Builder in WengeCurrent lead time 10–12 weeks · ships crated, nationwide