Frake, better known in many markets as limba or korina, is a light, pale hardwood that does a surprising range of jobs. Furniture factories use it for frames and drawer parts, moulding makers for painted profiles, plywood mills for faces and cores, and guitar makers for bodies and necks, where its light weight and warm tone have made it famous. Because it is used in such different ways, the frake wood price can vary a lot between a standard joinery parcel and a selected guitar-grade board. This guide explains why.
We cover typical FOB prices per cubic metre, the difference between white and black limba, the premium for clear and colour-selected grades, how drying affects quality and cost, how much fits in a container, and how to buy efficiently. Prices are indicative starting points from our own quotes at Global Timber Trade Hub, where we supply frake sawn in Cameroon and the Republic of Congo.
In short
- Kiln-dried sawn frake starts from about $480 per m³ FOB.
- Clear, colour-selected and guitar-grade boards cost more.
- Black limba, with dark streaks, is usually priced above plain white limba.
- Frake is light, so containers fill by volume and freight per m³ stays low.
- It is not durable and must be kiln dried quickly to avoid staining.
- It is not CITES listed, which keeps paperwork simple.
Typical frake prices
| Product | Typical spec | Indicative price (USD, FOB) |
|---|---|---|
| Sawn boards, KD | FAS or No. 1, 27–52 mm | from $480 per m³ |
| White limba, selected | Clear, even pale colour | from about $580 per m³ |
| Black limba, selected | Dark streaked heartwood | from about $650 per m³ |
| Guitar-grade blanks | Quarter-sawn, light, clear | priced by selection |
| Lower grades | Short lengths, small defects | below standard board price |
These are starting points. Prices depend on specification, colour, volume and stock. See our African hardwood prices guide for other species.
What is frake?
Frake (Terminalia superba), also called limba, afara or korina, is a large, fast-growing tree of West and Central Africa, also widely planted. Its wood is pale straw to light yellowish-brown, with a straight to slightly interlocked grain and a medium texture. Some trees develop dark grey-brown to black streaks in the heartwood; this streaked wood is sold as black limba, while the plain pale wood is white limba. It is light, around 500–600 kg per cubic metre when dry, easy to work and stable once seasoned, but it has low natural durability.
White limba vs black limba
White limba is the plain, pale wood, used for furniture parts, mouldings, plywood and painted joinery, and prized by some guitar makers for its light colour and even tone. Black limba has dramatic dark figure that looks striking under a clear finish, which makes it popular for guitar bodies, decorative furniture and veneer. Because only some logs produce good black limba, and buyers often want strong, even streaking, it carries a premium. If you only need pale wood for painted or hidden work, standard frake is the economical choice.
What pushes the price up
Clear, knot-free grades cost more because fewer boards qualify. Colour selection, either even pale white limba or well-figured black limba, adds sorting labour and lowers yield. Quarter-sawn stock for instruments costs more because quarter-sawing gives fewer boards per log. Wide boards and long lengths carry a premium. Careful kiln drying to protect the pale colour also adds cost.
What brings it down
Accepting random widths and lengths, small defects for parts that will be cut short, and mixed colour for painted work all lower the price. Ordering full containers, or combining frake with other light species such as ayous and okoume, spreads freight. Planning regular orders helps keep prices steady.
Drying and colour
Frake must be dried quickly after sawing. Left wet and warm, it is prone to blue stain and insect attack, which spoils its pale colour. Good mills kiln dry it promptly. Always order kiln-dried frake for furniture, joinery and instruments, and keep it dry in transit and storage. On arrival, check moisture content and look for any staining. See kiln dried vs air dried lumber.
Frake for guitars
Limba, under the name korina, became famous in classic electric guitar designs and remains popular with builders who want a light body with a warm, resonant tone. Guitar makers usually want quarter-sawn, clear, light boards, often matched for colour, which is why guitar-grade stock is priced separately. If you build instruments, tell us the body and neck sizes you need, and whether you want white or black limba. See our limba wood for guitars guide.
Container loads and freight
Frake is light, so containers fill by volume. A 40 ft container usually holds around 50–60 m³ of sawn frake, depending on sizes and packing. That keeps freight per cubic metre low, although for an inexpensive wood freight is still a significant share of landed cost. See how much timber fits in a 40 ft container and timber shipping cost.
How frake compares on price
| Species | From (USD/m³, FOB) | Main use |
|---|---|---|
| Ilomba | $400 | Plywood, hidden parts |
| Ayous | $420 | Saunas, mouldings |
| Frake | $480 | Furniture parts, guitars, mouldings |
| Okoume | $520 | Plywood, boats |
Legal status
Frake is not CITES listed. EU buyers must meet due diligence and EU deforestation regulation requirements, and US buyers must comply with the Lacey Act. We provide legal origin documents with each shipment. See our sustainability page.
A worked example for a furniture factory
Consider a factory that makes painted bedroom furniture: wardrobes, chests and bedside tables. The carcasses are veneered board, but the face frames, door frames, plinths and drawer sides are solid wood. All visible solid parts will be primed and painted, and drawer sides will be clear lacquered. By using standard kiln-dried frake for the painted frames and plinths, and selecting the cleanest boards for drawer sides, the factory gets light, straight, easy-to-machine parts at a low cost per piece. Because frake is light, the finished furniture is easier to handle and cheaper to ship. The factory orders a 40 ft container every two to three months, mixing frake with a little ayous for mouldings. Over a year, the timber saving compared with using beech or oak for the same hidden and painted parts is substantial, and the furniture looks identical to the customer.
Frake for mouldings and joinery
Frake machines cleanly, holds a crisp profile and takes primer and paint well, so it is widely used for skirting, architraves, door linings, window boards and decorative mouldings. Many moulding factories finger-joint short clear pieces into long lengths, which lets them use lower grades and further reduce cost. Because frake is soft, painted mouldings should be handled carefully to avoid dents. For visible clear-finished joinery, choose a harder species such as sapele or sipo instead.
Storage and handling
Keep kiln-dried frake dry, flat and under cover, stacked on bearers with stickers. Do not store it next to wet timber, and use stock in the order it arrives. Wet frake can stain within days in warm weather, so good storage directly protects the value of what you buy.
Lead times and payment
Kiln-dried frake is usually ready to load in 4–7 weeks; selected guitar-grade stock may take longer. For first orders, a letter of credit or a deposit with balance against copy documents protects both sides. See our letter of credit for timber guide.
Frake in plywood and veneer
Frake peels and slices well, so a large share of the world’s limba ends up as veneer and plywood. White limba gives a clean, pale face for interior plywood, door skins and furniture panels, while black limba veneer creates dramatic decorative panels for furniture and interiors. Because the wood is light, frake plywood is easy to handle and cut, which suits shopfitting, caravans and exhibition stands where weight matters. If you buy plywood or veneered panels rather than sawn timber, ask whether limba is offered as a face or core option, and compare it with okoume and other light species on weight, screw holding and price. For solid lippings and frames to match limba panels, sawn frake from the same colour range keeps the finished piece consistent. Our African hardwood veneer guide covers veneer options in more detail, and our okoume wood price guide covers the most common plywood face species.
Finishing frake
Frake takes stain, oil, lacquer and paint well. Its pale colour accepts stains evenly, so it can be coloured to suit many designs. A sanding sealer before the top coat gives a smoother finish on its medium texture.
When you send an enquiry, tell us what the frake is for, whether you need white or black limba, and the grade, sizes, moisture content, volume and destination port, so we can quote accurately the first time.
Small buyers can also add frake to a mixed container with other species.
Common mistakes
- Buying air-dried frake: stain and insect damage are common.
- Paying for colour selection on painted parts: standard grades will do.
- Using it outdoors: it is not durable.
- Vague specs for guitar stock: state sizes, cut and colour.
Our honest advice
Frake is a light, versatile, inexpensive hardwood. Buy standard kiln-dried grades for furniture parts and mouldings, pay for colour selection only where it will be seen, and specify instrument stock carefully. Keep it dry, keep it indoors, and it will serve you well.
Sources
Related guides
- African tonewood for guitars
- Ayous wood price
- Best wood for cabinets
- Plywood and lightweight timber
- Buy frake (limba) wood
Frequently asked questions about frake wood price
How much does frake cost per cubic metre?
Kiln-dried sawn frake starts from about $480 per m³ FOB.
Is frake the same as limba?
Yes. Frake, limba, afara and korina are trade names for Terminalia superba.
Why is black limba more expensive?
Only some logs produce attractive dark streaks, so it is scarcer and sorted by hand.
Is frake durable outdoors?
No. It has low durability and should be used indoors.
Get a frake price
Send us your grade, colour, sizes, volume and destination through our quote form. We will reply with a firm price and lead time.