Hi Merimom!
I just came across your post for Tigerwood. Did you end up going with it? I am trying to pick my floors and that is what I'm leaning twords. I can't seem to find much information about it. I noticed that you did not get any replies to your post. Does no one else have TIgerwood?!? I think it is beautiful!

sb345: You said " personally I am not a fan of Kempas and almost all of it comes from China with all the fun that can bring with it"

I know it's your personal opinion, but I am just wondering why you feel this way?
I am asking because I saw some beautiful hardwood flooring that we are very seriously considering and it is... KEMPAS.

If you wouldn't mind sharing your knowledge on this, I would be most appreciative.

Thank you.

I'd be interested also since the samples that I have of Kempas are all beautiful and are about the same price as Brazilian Cherry so I am trying to decide between the two wood species. I have to go with Engineered so I have found only three companies that have Engineered Kempas. I love Brazilian Cherry but I like Kempas for only have a medium change in color and not a dramatic change in color. But I know the Brazilian Cherry is a harder wood and I still do not understand how the Kempas is easier to scratch on my Hartco Valenza Engineered Kempas Sample while the Brazilian Cherry sample from the same company resists scratches much more so when I thought it was the finish that determined the scratches while the species determined indent marks. It looks like both are important?

The Kempas is about 1710 Janka Hardness while the Brazilian Cherry is about 2880 Janka Hardness. I love the BR-111 samples but they only have Brazilian Cherry which I am still leaning for but I still have been considering the Kempas if it will not get as dark and be a little more red and orange.

My big fear is the problems I had with Stanley Furniture coming from China Last year and coming so damaged. I had to send it back with so much stress for 2 weeks. It also came 6 weeks late. I ended up going with Durham Solid Maple wood furniture for my bedroom from Canada that came to me in good condition and came in a few weeks.

But China is not Malaysia or Indonesia where Kempas is grown. But is China where Kempas engineered wood is created? I would have to buy Hartco Valenza or Bella Hardwood Floors or from an unknown company I found on the Internet called KempasUSA.com that offers three types of Kempas with no price listed for the Engineered Version. I do not understand how there can be a Red Kempas, a Golden Kempas and a Natural Kempas with the Natural being more and very pretty.

At least I know the BR-111 Brazilian Cherry will be of quality based on reviews of the engineered Triangulo Version being a sawn cut and the samples show me that it is nice.

We bought "Golden Kempas" solid hardwood (3/4 inch) and had it installed in early 2005. It came from Indonesia, NOT China. Although we also loved the Tiger wood we saw, we chose Kempas based on the thickness then available, as it was for our upper floor. To me, it's among the most beautiful wood flooring we've seen, and it's plenty hard. I don't know if it's different for engineered wood, but our solid wood flooring is rated as being significantly harder than oak, (like double). It came in a natural prefinished form, so there's a lot of natural variation in the color and grain. Some of the grain almost looks like Tigerwood. (Obviously some people prefer uniformity in their wood flooring, so that's a matter of preference. We liked the variation a lot). The past 6 years, I can't say that darkening has happened for certain. I THINK there's been MILD coppering or reddening, and browning of the darker pieces, but there are plenty of yellows still there. (Most of the flooring is not in direct sunlight, and I'm told that matters.) If it had gotten a lot darker in that time, I'd have noticed. I'm sorry someone else had such a bad experience with wood flooring they bought that came from China, but I would not write off all Kempas wood flooring b/c of that. Plenty of it came from elsewhere when we bought it. We bought ours directly from a wholesaler (per our installer's suggestion) and we looked in each box before accepting them. (We rejected one box b/c it had been crushed somewhat, and in that box there were many pieces that were scratched and OR too dark). In sum, Kempas is a beautiful, unusual wood flooring that is also practical b/c it's so hard. It has lovely variations, and it has held up well. We're happy customers!

I have had my Kempas floor for 8 months now. It runs through my kitchen and first floor. I am very disappointed. I was told that it was a hard wood yet every time any of my kids drop something on the floor it dents. Why is that?
It is however a beautiful floor and we love the variations in color and look. It does darken over time but it is minimal as far as I can tell. The darker wood does hide the dirt.

Anyone have pictures of their beautiful Kempas Floors? I saw the wood in a store before it darkens in a solid today and it is so gorgeous. I really would like to see how a floor looks after it has darkened to be sure it is not too dark. I love the red and orange colors.