5 questions, 5 answers: what makes sandalwood distinctive and where it is found

When people hear the word sandalwood, they do not usually think first of furniture, musical instruments or writing sets. Rather, sandalwood is closely associated with fragrance and cosmetics. As massage oil, soap or perfume, this wood grown in India reaches our shores. In aftershave, it provides that characteristic masculine scent. Sandalwood oil is also regarded as relaxing and antibacterial.

There are many very different kinds of sandalwood, and they can vary considerably from one another. Accordingly, the uses of the wood also differ – and not every type of sandalwood can be used, for example, for high-quality rollerball pens.

In this blog article, we introduce this very special wood and explain where it grows and what it is used for.

What is sandalwood?

There is no single sandalwood, but rather many different varieties. All of them belong to the genus with the Latin name Santulum. The true sandalwood tree is considered to be Santulum album, the white sandalwood tree – but that does not mean the other sandalwoods are somehow false. The properties of red sandalwood and yellow sandalwood, along with other varieties such as false sandalwood, simply differ from one another – and so do their uses.

Sandalwood has been known for thousands of years and has long been traded. Above all, the oil obtained from the trees and the wood is highly valued and is considered beneficial for body and mind.

Where does sandalwood grow?

Sandalwood is a typical plant of the southern hemisphere – and it can be found in almost every part of it. South America, Africa and Asia: regional varieties of the sandalwood tree are found on all these continents.

The white sandalwood tree grows in many countries across South-East Asia. Its place of origin is unknown, although much points to Indonesia. Today, this evergreen tree is cultivated in Australia, China, the Philippines and above all in India, the principal producer of sandalwood.

Other kinds of sandalwood are native, for example, to Venezuela and East Africa.

What does sandalwood look like?

The trees tend to be rather small. In Australia, they reach around 4 metres in height, while in India they can grow to 15 to 20 metres. The trunks are often fairly slender, but can also reach circumferences of up to 1.5 metres.

The wood has a reddish, brown to very dark colour. At times it can verge on black, though it does not come close to the deep black of ebony, for instance. Rather, deep red tones are typical of the wood, recalling, for example, the colour of cinnamon sticks.

What is made from sandalwood?

Today, sandalwood trees are not cultivated primarily for their timber in the conventional sense, for use in furniture or construction, but rather to obtain sandalwood oil. That said, the wood itself is still highly sought after: the red heartwood of the red sandalwood tree, thanks to its high density, is of interest for musical instruments and furniture, as well as decorative uses such as chess pieces or pens. The Museum of Red Sandalwood in Beijing, for example, displays historical furniture made from this type of sandalwood.

But as mentioned, sandalwood is used chiefly in the cosmetics industry. Over the years, the wood develops its characteristic fragrance, which is lightly sweet and regarded as both stimulating and soothing. Incense sticks, essential oils, massage oils, perfumes: the list of products containing sandalwood could go on and on.

What makes sandalwood so special?

In terms of its natural occurrence alone, sandalwood is very rare. However, it is cultivated in places such as India, so there is a continuing supply for its wide range of cosmetic uses.

Even so, sandalwood is precious and therefore also rather expensive. Prices have risen by several thousand per cent in the past 30 years alone. This explains why sandalwood is now used ever more rarely as a raw material for furniture.

Like other fine woods such as ebony and rosewood, sandalwood is distinguished by great hardness and excellent quality – reflected, in all these woods, in prices that are at least ten times higher than those of already valuable and costly oak. For finely made objects in the luxury segment, sandalwood is therefore ideally suited, not least because of its striking red colouring.

Ballpoint pens and rollerball pens in sandalwood by Hörner

The Legno ballpoint pen and rollerball pen by Hörner feature sandalwood. The red colour of the wood makes these pens truly eye-catching and gives them a distinctive character compared with the other models in rosewood, mahogany or black ebony. Both Legno pens are also available as a sandalwood writing set in an elegant pen box.