Is any of this wood worth buying?

[les-smith]

I found a man here locally looking to sell some of his wood collection that he has accumulated over the years. He does mostly flat work. I don't what type of grain pattern any of this has because I haven't seen it yet. But, do any of you think some of this is worth buying to make pens? Here's the list. Sorry that it's long, but any help is appreciated. Thanks, Les.

SPECIES SIZE PRICE

Banana Wood 18x18x1 $15
Naingon 18x18x1 $15
Wawimba 17x1 3/8x1 3/8 $15
Naingon 18x1x1 $15
ChenChen 24x3/4x¾ $25
Naingon 18x1x1 $15
Yellowheart 11x3/4x¾ $10
ChenChen 24x1x1 $20
ChenChen 24x1x1 $20
Bocote 12x3x¼ $15
Bocote 12-18 x1 ½-2x1/4 $18
Bocote 26x2 3/4x½ $8
Granadillo 12 1/2x2x3/16 $15
Tigerwood 23x2 1/2x7/16 $8
ChenChen 19 1/2x3/1 1/8 $15
Canarywood 18 1/2x4 1/2x¼ $12
Afromosia 15x4 1/2x¼ $12
Oak Thins 28x2x1/16 $8
Oak Thins 30x3 3/4x¼ $5
Afr Mahogany 8 1/2x3x¼ $12
Hon Mahogany 8x2/ 3/4x¼ $16
Bloodwood slab 18x5x15/16 $12
Sapele slab 18x4 ¼/1 $20
Afr Mahogany 18 1/2x2 1/2x7/16 $15
Afr Mahogany 15x7 3/4x½ $10
Paela 18x2 5/8x5/8 $12
Spanish Cedar 17 1/2x2x5/8 $15
Paduak 18x5x½ $10
Paduak 18x5x½ $10
Chechen slab 24x3 1/8x1 1/16 $10
Zebrawood thin 24x4 1/2x3/8 $10
Spanish Cedar slab 17x4 3/8x15/16 $12
Locust thins 18 1/2x2 1/4x3/8 $6
Af Mahogany 18x5 3/4x¾ $12
ChenChen slab 17 3/4x7x1 $6
Locust 18x4x¾ $10
Quinilla slab 19x5 1/4x1 $10
Canarywood thins 36x4 1/4x3/16 $10
Afr Mahogany thins 38x6 1/4x3/8 $12
Black Cherry slab 27x4 3/4x1 ¼ $5
Birdseye Cherry slab 33x5x1 $5

 

[fernhills]

Buy it all,, Carl

 

[Rifleman1776]

Some of those woods are unfamiliar to me. And without seeing the pieces, it is hard to give firm advice. His prices, while, perhaps, under some retailers, are certainly not bargains. He doesn't seem too anxious to clear out. You can buy any of those at any time you want for the same monies or nearly so. If you have the cash, you might offer him $200.00 for entire lot and see what happens.

 

[splinter99]

Sorry to say that many of the prices seem high,,just thinking of the few I have bought recently, bloodwood was $11.00 a boardfoot..canary was about $8.00 a board foot
I would see if you could make him a deal on all of it

 

[GaryMGg]

Length X Width X thickness / 144 = Board Foot price
Calculate the BF price for each item, then go online and compare it to current pricing.
I can say for a fact that a few of the ones I looked at are very high.
The Tigerwood works out to $45/BF; the Sapelle works out to $37/BF; the oak thin works out to $25.6/BF, and the Black cherry works out to 4.5/BF <<== it's the only one I looked at that was reasonable.
I wouldn't buy it. YMMV

Look at these calcs:

               Length     Width     Thick    BF     Price    Price/BF
Tigerwood       23         2.5       .4375   .1745     8       45.7
Sapelle         18         4.25     1        .53125   20       37.6
Bl Cherry       27         4.75     1.25    1.113      5        4.49
oak thin        30         3.75      .25     .195      5       25.6

Those are pretty outrageous prices from where I'm sitting. My guess is they're all
unreasonably similar.

 

[splinter99]

Sorry to say that many of the prices seem high,,just thinking of the few I have bought recently, bloodwood was $11.00 a boardfoot..canary was about $8.00 a board foot
I would see if you could make him a deal on all of it

 

[wayneis]

It all depends of the quality and grain pattern. If its extra fancy grain then you may want to pick up some of it. The more fancy the grain the more its woth and the better it'll look in many cases as a pen. As far as I am concerned you can't put a price on some really fancy woods.

Wayne

 

[great12b4ever]

I agree with the others. Most of those wood prices seem a little or a lot high. Go on line to WestPenn Hardwoods, Cook Hardwoods, Exotic woods or any of the other wood companies that deal in lumber and check out the Board Foot price, then compare. If you could see the grain and condition that would tell you a lot more. If this offer was made to me I would look at it, and if he wouldn't let me cherry pick it, I would either pass or try to offer a package deal based on the homework I had already done on what the prices should be worth, and stay at or under that figure.

Rob

 

[les-smith]

Thanks for the great info. I've talked via e-mail with this guy a few times now and I think he may work, or used to work, at a Woodcraft. I think he may be pricing his stuff off of their prices, just a little cheaper. Well, Woodcraft is higher than a cats back in my opinion so that would explain his prices a little. He said the first eight on his list have really good figure so I might calculate the BF price of those and then make him an offer.

 

[GBusardo]

I am no expert, but
Birdseye Cherry slab 33x5x1 $5 seems like a good buy, even with out any figure. Wood under 3/4 inch thick are usually sold by the square foot. Also I would guess that the wood is surfaced, which would make the prices seem more reasonable. The surfacing does not help in regard to pen turning though. I would at least look at the wood, there might be a diamond in the rough that might make your eyes pop out!