West African Utile is a ’sister’ species to Sapele but usually has a more interesting grain and gives a better ‘finish’, albeit at a higher price. Widths and lengths may be a little smaller than Sapele.
| Difficult to machine due to irregular grain | |
| Glues and nails well | |
| Interlocked grain may cause tearing in planing and shaping | |
| Good finishing but filing necessary |
| Moderate hardness and weight | |
| Medium bending and crushing strengths, not recommended for steam bending | |
| Wood bending difficult | |
| Kiln-dries satisfactorily, usually with only slight degrade | |
| Air-dries at a slow to moderate rate with a slight to marked tendency to end-check and warp | |
| Movement in service is rated as medium |
| Heartwood is moderately resistant to attack by decay, fungi and termites | |
| Sapwood is liable to attack by powder-post beetle | |
| Heartwood is extremely resistant to treatment; sapwood is easy to treat |
| Furniture and cabinetwork | |
| Joinery | |
| Decorative veneers | |
| Plywood | |
| Boat construction |
