Gordon wrote:

We just returned from Southern Lumber in San Jose,
where three experts couldn't decide between Teak,
Walnut and Mahogany ("low probability"). There's
a 40-year old varnish over the wood that makes id
difficult. (The miller said he could tell by the
smell if he cut the piece in half. "No, thanks.")

The following are links to three photos, two of
the top and one of the bottom.

http://webpages.charter.net/slishman/wood1.jpg
http://webpages.charter.net/slishman/wood2.jpg
http://webpages.charter.net/slishman/wood3.jpg

If anyone knows for sure what the kind is,
please share the id and the decisive clues.

Many thanks,
Gordon

P.S. The photos will remain until October.

Too big to try to open w/ slow dialup.

Bound to be some way to get to an area under the top or somewhere that
isn't finished.

Would be surprised if it were anything more than a veneer at best or,
more likely, something like one of the tropicals stained to look like
walnut or somesuch. Even then there was little really fine wood used in
such pieces although there were exceptions.