Akavit, I have what appears to be either walnut or mahogany end table. Most likely walnut. My question, is mahogany a particular tree, or is it a red walnut?
It's not walnut. Mahogany refers to several species of wood. The best stuff is Honduran mahogany which is known as Swietenia macrophylla. It's often referred to as true mahogany or genuine mahogany. There are tons of related, semi-related or unrelated species that are often marketed as mahogany because they look very similar to the untrained eye and are much more affordable. Sapele is one and African mahogany is another.
The real mahogany doesn't get used much anymore since the price keeps going up. Currently, it's running over 4 times the cost of oak.
Thank you Akavit. Good explanation.