Albesia or Belalu

[Albizia falcata]

...white, soft wood -- sometimes brown at the center, often used for inexpensive, painted wood carvings.

Crocodile or Satin Wood

[Zanthoxylum rhetsa]

...white, relatively hard wood. Carvings usually have a very smooth finish -- making them look a little like ivory.

Suar or Rain Tree

[Samanea saman]

...brown, hard wood -- favored wood of importers outside of the tropics because the crisscrossed, interlocking grain keeps the wood from cracking when moved to drier climates. It can be finished to a fairly high gloss.

Waru or Grey Hibiscus

[Hibiscus tiliaceus]

...white blended with light gray -- the dark heartwood often makes for distinctive two-tone carvings. As this wood ages, the gray turns greenish -- a very beautiful look. Grey hibiscus can be sanded to a very smooth finish.