Spanish cedar alternatives..

[RobustoMoe]

OK guys,

So finally I decided on having a cabinet made for my cigars. I am sick of outgrowing my humidors and frankly I'd rather spend money on cigars instead of shelling out on a new bigger humidor on annual basis.
I am at a dead end here. I live in Bahrain and getting Spanish Cedar is very difficult if not impossible. I guess the title of this thread is self explanatory.

Are there any alternative to Spanish cedar ?

 

[twenty5]

http://www.botl.org/community/forums/showthread.php?t=30532&highlight=Spanish+cedar+alternatives

 

[RobustoMoe]

Thanks Justin,

But I think the other 2 "American (or Canadian) red cedar and Honduran mahogany" would be just as hard to come by :frown:

 

[derfatdutchman]

The only alternative I've seen used in humidors is mahogany. The one source of cedar you may have available to you is cigar boxes, while only the top a bottom would be useable for lining material it could be done.

 

[mav_sd]

Mahogany is a good option...same family as Spanish Cedar. (Sp Cedar is actually closer to mahogany than any real cedar)

If you are only looking at enough to line a cabinet, you might be able to have it mailed over. for example, you could use 1/4 inch thick planks or slats and if they were 42 inches (max for International priority) long and six inches wide, you could literally fit 56 square feet of lumber in a box that was 6x8x42 inches.

International shipping to Bahrain would be 110-130 dollars, and the wood itself would be about 200-250 (ish, maybe less).

IMO, a 50% markup to get your hands on a wood that would otherwise be unattainable is a good deal.

Either way, it'll be a spendy project for you. Best of luck my brother.

 

[Adam Hughes]

Are there any local B&M's close by? you could always ask them who supplied them with their shelves.

 

[kuzi16]

Mahogany is a good option...same family as Spanish Cedar. (Sp Cedar is actually closer to mahogany than any real cedar)

not only is it not "real cedar" its not even from spain. so its not spanish or cedar. the name is actually "Cedrela odorata" and is often shortened to "cedre" in many Latin American countries that speak Spanish. from there you are a hop, skip and a jump away from "spanish cedar"

 

[daniyal]

OK guys,

So finally I decided on having a cabinet made for my cigars. I am sick of outgrowing my humidors and frankly I'd rather spend money on cigars instead of shelling out on a new bigger humidor on annual basis.
I am at a dead end here. I live in Bahrain and getting Spanish Cedar is very difficult if not impossible. I guess the title of this thread is self explanatory.

Are there any alternative to Spanish cedar ?

I have been researching this issue for a while now and think that I have found what Spanish Cedar locally. In either event there are two things to be kept in mind when looking for wood to line humidors: 1. The wood should have the ability to absorb and regulate humidity i.e. It shouldn't bloat when exposed to humidity and 2. It should be fragrant so as to affect the cigars natural taste.

Before I stumbled upon spanish cedar here I was looking into wood used in ship making. The reason being that wood used in boat making has the ability to absorb moisture and still maintain itself and is often odourless. If I'm correct there is a boat making tradition in Bahrain so you should be able to track down the wood commonly used for it. Good luck with your search Moe.

Posted via Mobile Device

 

[RobustoMoe]

Thanks guys for the tips.

I'll probably order the wood online. :-/ still not giving up hope on finding some locally thoug.

@Daniyal.. I am actually impressed that you know that about Bahrain

 

[stewartu]

Moe,

Were you able to find spanish cedar? If not, I can check in Saudi when I return their at the end of August. I am also looking to build a humidor in the fall. I live in Dhahran.