Rare and endangered Bakout (Guaiac wood)
The world is home to countless plants, far too many to know. People often want to learn about specific plants, like bakout, also known as guaiac wood.
What is it?
Its scientific name is Guaicum officinale. It's also called the bakout tree. This plant is part of the Guaiacum genus and the Zygophyllales family.
Sadly, this tree is now rare and endangered. Cutting these trees is illegal in most places because their numbers have dropped so much.
Bakout wood is very strong. It can be used to make propeller shaft bearings for boats. These bearings are as good as steel or copper ones. Resin can be extracted from the wood through boiling or dry distilling. In the past, this resin indicated the presence of hemoglobin.
Bakout was once used to make medicine. But when better medicines came along, it was no longer used for this. However, its wood is still useful, especially in shipbuilding. Machine makers use it for templates and turned items.
Bakout is also used in bowling balls and pins. It's good for making mallets, mortars, and pestles for cooking or labs. Knife handles can also be made from it. Sometimes, bakout veneer is used in furniture making.
In the past, before metalworking was advanced and when there were more trees, bakout had many more uses. It was used for machine tools, bridge supports, and railroad ties. Any part needing strength and wear resistance could be made from it. This included:
watch parts
bushings
screws and other rotating parts
Bakout makes its own lubricant, which reduces friction. This eliminates the need for extra oil. The wood is hard to work with, even with good tools. Still, its strength made it useful for police batons.
Now that there are fewer trees, bakout wood is saved for special items. These include custom furniture and the bodies of high-end guitars and violins. Experts say these instruments have a deep, pleasing sound.
