Martin H. Eastburn wrote:

Hum - know anyone down at the ship channel ? Some cargo ships
use exotic (foreign) wood to block and brace with. Some big stuff
we used to get years ago overseas.

Some decades ago a pal of mine who is a fanatical woodworker went to Africa
to teach for two years, Tanzania. When he was about to return he bought a
whole bunch of real interesting wood, and had it carefully made into
extra-heavy-duty shipping crates in which to return his household goods, and
by carefully I mean he plotted out every screw and nail hole. Of course
when he got back he dismantled the crates and stacked the wood on racks,
he's still building stuff out of it all these years later. I hate to think
what some of those slabs are worth today.