Sapele lumber is one of the most traded African hardwoods in the world. Window and door factories, furniture makers, kitchen companies, stair builders and guitar makers buy it in volume, because it is stable, attractive, available in wide, long boards and fairly priced. But buying sapele well takes more than asking for “sapele”. The grade, thickness, cut, moisture content, lengths and packing all affect what you receive and what you pay. This guide explains how to specify and buy sapele lumber so that every container fits your production.
We cover the main grades, standard thicknesses and sizes, quarter-sawn versus flat-sawn stock, drying and moisture content, packing and container loads, documents, and a simple checklist for your order. At Global Timber Trade Hub we supply kiln-dried sapele lumber sawn in Cameroon and the Republic of Congo to buyers in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North America.
In short
- Most joinery buyers order FAS or FAS/1F kiln-dried sapele.
- Standard thicknesses include 27, 32, 40, 52, 65 and 80 mm.
- Quarter-sawn boards are more stable and show the ribbon figure.
- Typical moisture content is 8–12% for interiors and 12–16% for exterior joinery.
- A 40 ft container holds roughly 45–55 m³ of sawn sapele.
- Kiln-dried sapele lumber starts from about $850 per m³ FOB.
What sapele lumber is
Sapele (Entandrophragma cylindricum) is a large tree of West and Central Africa in the mahogany family. Its lumber is reddish-brown, darkening with age, with a fine texture and interlocked grain that gives a ribbon stripe on quarter-sawn faces. It is medium-hard, around 640–700 kg per cubic metre when dry, stable when well kiln dried and moderately durable outdoors. Read our sapele vs mahogany guide for how it compares with true mahogany.
Grades
Most sapele is graded to either the ATIBT SATA rules used widely in Europe or the NHLA rules used in North America. In practice, buyers talk about:
- FAS (Firsts and Seconds): the top grade, with long, wide clear cuttings, used for windows, doors, furniture and stairs.
- FAS/1F: FAS on one face and No. 1 Common on the other, often good value for parts with one visible side.
- No. 1 Common: more defects and shorter clear cuttings, used for shorter parts, finger-jointing and painted work.
- Strips and shorts: narrow or short boards, useful for flooring, mouldings and small components.
Match the grade to your cutting list. Paying for FAS when most parts are short is wasted money. See our hardwood lumber grades guide.
Thicknesses and sizes
| Thickness | Typical use |
|---|---|
| 27 mm | Furniture parts, drawer sides, panels |
| 32 mm | Doors, cabinet frames, mouldings |
| 40 mm | Stair treads, table tops |
| 52 mm | Window frames, stair strings |
| 65 mm | Window frames, sills, heavy joinery |
| 80 mm and up | Sills, newel posts, thick tops |
Boards are usually supplied in random widths from about 150 mm and random lengths from about 1.8 m to 5 m or more. Fixed widths and lengths are possible but cost more.
Quarter-sawn vs flat-sawn
Quarter-sawn sapele is cut so that the growth rings run roughly at right angles to the face. It moves less across its width and shows the famous ribbon stripe. Flat-sawn boards show a broader, more varied figure and move a little more. For window frames, wide doors and table tops, quarter-sawn or rift-sawn stock is often worth the premium. For painted joinery and hidden parts, flat-sawn is fine. Many buyers order a mix, specifying a minimum share of quarter-sawn boards. See our quarter-sawn sapele guide.
Moisture content
Specify the moisture content for your use. For interior furniture and joinery, 8–12% is common. For exterior windows and doors, many factories specify 12–16% to suit outdoor conditions. Ask how the moisture is measured and what tolerance applies. Kiln-dried sapele should be checked on arrival with a calibrated meter. See kiln dried vs air dried lumber.
Price
Kiln-dried FAS sapele lumber starts from about $850 per m³ FOB in standard thicknesses. Thick stock, wide and long boards and quarter-sawn selections cost more; lower grades and shorts cost less. See our sapele wood price guide for a full breakdown.
Packing and container loads
Sapele lumber is usually packed in strapped bundles of one thickness, with bundle tags showing species, grade, thickness, number of pieces and volume. A 40 ft container holds roughly 45–55 m³ of sawn sapele, depending on sizes and packing. Mixed containers with several thicknesses or species are common. See how much timber fits in a 40 ft container.
Documents
Each shipment should include a commercial invoice, packing list with bundle details, bill of lading, certificate of origin, phytosanitary certificate where required and legal origin documents. Sapele is not CITES listed at the time of writing, though its genus has been flagged for future review. EU buyers must meet due diligence and EU deforestation regulation requirements, and US buyers must file a Lacey Act declaration. See our EUDR timber compliance guide.
A simple order checklist
- Species and botanical name: sapele, Entandrophragma cylindricum.
- Grade and grading rules (SATA or NHLA).
- Thicknesses and volume per thickness.
- Widths and lengths: random or fixed, with minimums.
- Cut: flat-sawn, quarter-sawn or minimum share of quarter-sawn.
- Moisture content and tolerance.
- Packing and bundle marking.
- Incoterm and destination port.
- Inspection arrangements and payment terms.
A worked example for a window factory
Consider a joinery company producing painted and stained timber windows for the housing market. Its frames and sashes are machined from 52, 65 and 80 mm boards, and it finger-joints short clear pieces into long lengths. Rather than order everything as FAS, the company splits its order: FAS and FAS/1F in 65 and 80 mm for frames and sills, No. 1 Common in 52 mm for finger-jointed sashes and beads, and a small amount of quarter-sawn 52 mm for large opening sashes that must stay perfectly straight. All boards are kiln dried to 12–16% to match outdoor service conditions. The company specifies random widths with a minimum of 150 mm and lengths from 2.1 m, and arranges an independent inspection before loading for its first two containers. By matching grades to parts, its average cost per cubic metre falls compared with buying only FAS, and its waste drops because board sizes suit its machines. After two good shipments, it moves to simpler payment terms and a regular quarterly order.
Planning a regular supply
Factories that use sapele every week benefit from a supply plan rather than one-off orders. Share your annual volume by thickness and grade, and agree delivery intervals, such as one container every six or eight weeks. This lets mills plan logs and kiln space for your specification, helps keep colour and quality consistent between shipments and gives you more predictable prices. Keep a safety stock of two or three weeks of production in your yard to cover shipping delays. See our export process page for how orders move from mill to port.
Inspection on arrival
When the container arrives, photograph the doors before opening, then the load as you unpack. Check bundle tags against the packing list, measure moisture content on a sample of boards, and look for defects outside the agreed grade. Report any problems quickly with photos and measurements. For first orders, a pre-shipment inspection by an independent company adds extra protection. See timber inspection before shipment.
Storage
Store kiln-dried sapele indoors or under a solid roof, flat on level bearers with stickers between layers. Keep it away from wet floors, open doors and heaters. Let boards settle for a week or two in your workshop conditions before machining critical parts.
Sapele lumber for different industries
Different buyers need different things from the same species, which is why a clear specification matters. Window and door manufacturers want straight, stable boards in thick sizes, often with a share of quarter-sawn stock and moisture content suited to exterior use. Furniture factories want consistent colour, FAS boards in 27 to 52 mm and a good proportion of wide boards for tops and panels. Kitchen companies want stable stock for doors and frames and sometimes thick boards for worktops. Stair builders need 40 to 65 mm boards for treads and strings and thicker squares for newels. Guitar makers want quarter-sawn, light, clean boards cut close to instrument sizes. Flooring companies can use shorter and narrower stock, which lowers the price. Telling us which industry you serve helps us choose logs and boards that suit you, and helps you avoid paying for features you do not need. See our best wood for stairs and African tonewood for guitars guides for those markets.
Payment terms
For first orders, a letter of credit or a deposit with the balance against copy documents is common. Once trust is established after a few shipments, simpler terms usually follow. See our letter of credit for timber guide for a step-by-step explanation of how this works in the timber trade.
Whatever terms you choose, write the species, botanical name, grade, moisture content and sizes clearly into the contract, so there is no doubt about what will be shipped.
Common mistakes
- Ordering “sapele” without a grade: you may get what the mill has, not what you need.
- Wrong moisture content: exterior joinery and furniture need different targets.
- Paying FAS prices for short parts: use No. 1 or shorts where possible.
- Not checking on arrival: report issues quickly with photos.
Our honest advice
Write a clear specification, match grade and cut to your products, and agree moisture content and inspection before shipment. Do that, and sapele lumber will give you consistent, stable, attractive boards container after container.
Sources
Related guides
Frequently asked questions about sapele lumber
What grade of sapele should I buy?
FAS or FAS/1F for joinery and furniture; No. 1 Common for shorter or painted parts.
What thickness does sapele come in?
Commonly 27, 32, 40, 52, 65 and 80 mm, in random widths and lengths.
How much sapele fits in a 40 ft container?
Roughly 45–55 m³, depending on sizes and packing.
What moisture content should sapele have?
About 8–12% for interiors and 12–16% for exterior joinery.
Get a sapele lumber quote
Send us your specification and destination through our quote form. We will reply with a firm price and lead time.