Favorite Woods

[JBCustomPens]

Hey Guys,

I wanted to know what is everybody's favorite wood(s) overall? I think it is interesting to see the different opinions. Mine personally is amboyna for shine and great look, along with desert ironwood. What's everybody else's favorite?

 

[surveyzo]

I agree on the amboyna but a good mesquite burl is hard to beat.

Alonzo

 

[mredburn]

Walnut crotch wood, Mesquite burl, and Curly Koa ar my favorite woods.

 

[fishlux]

Either Apple or Honeylocust. Both turn and finish well, are plentiful locally and are pretty. They're also "different" enough that most people haven't seen them.

Lux

 

[les-smith]

Anything curly. I love curly. Curly is the theme of my collection of self made pens. I love Aspen for it's smell, Camphor smeels good too. But, my all time favorite beats em' all is any wicked burly deep dark brown Walnut.

 

[rjwolfe3]

Amboyna Burl is my go to wood. I love the smell turning it. I also love any olive wood.

 

[TellicoTurning]

I don't really have a favorite wood, any that has good markings.

 

[jleiwig]

I'm a curly fan as well. I think it's the Chatoyance

 

[Slyotter]

favorite wood(s)

Pretty much any rosewood, and tulipwood....Aisian satinwood and koa as well!

Jerry

 

[fiferb]

Anything with interesting grain or chatoyance.

 

[keithlong]

Any wood that will make a good looking pen. I do love Black Walnut though.

 

[workinforwood]

Apple is my favorite wood for all of it's qualities and Buckeye Burl is my second favorite because that wood just looks sinful!

 

[bgibb42]

I absolutely love maple. It turns easily, finishes easily, stains well, dyes well, and any curly or quilted varieties almost always have stunning grain that's mesmerizing to look at.

 

[JohnU]

Most anything with character (burls, knots, crotches), two tone heart / sap wood mixture, or spalt.

 

[cnirenberg]

I'm a big fan of Amboyna Burl and Rosewood, no to metion a bit of BOW as well.

 

[Jim Smith]

I love to turn Desert Ironwood as well as Rosewood, especially burl.

Jim Smith

 

[bitshird]

Afzelia Burl, Osage Orange, Amboyna Burl, Rosewood Burl, and Olive wood and Desert Ironwood,

 

[markgum]

love red mallee burl, but any wood in my shop is my favorite...

 

[USAFVET98]

I have to say Masur Birch is my favorite! From the coloring to the grain patterns.

 

[drayman]

i love burls, any burls as long as its burl:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

 

[broitblat]

In no particular order:

Amboyna
Red Mallee Burl
Olive (Jerusalem, Bethlehem, California)
Rosewood Burl
Black Ash Burl

-Barry

 

[Jmhoff10500]

Vasicola Burl with a bit of sapwood!!! If i could use it for every pen, I would!

 

[papaturner]

If it`s wood I love it. They all are unique and have their own characteristics.
Even the bland and common woods are great in their own special way. I`ll always be a wood man.:biggrin:

 

[Grizz]

For pens. I love Spalted Curly Mango. Hard to find though.

For bowls and vases, Spalted Maple. Have to get a little luck in finding or creating.

For Furniture, Mahogany or cherry.

For burning, anything that is a hard wood and plain.

 

[RichB]

After working with Madrone I have to say it is a challenge but after that it is outstanding. It is now my favorite.

 

[jimbob91577]

Favorite wood for spindle turning - Straight Grained Maple, Straight Grained Cherry
Favorite wood for pen turning - Amboyna Burl, Buckeye Burl, Maple Burl
Favorite wood for bowl turning - Russian Olive, Spalted Maple
Favorite wood for flat work - toss-up: Quilted/Curly/Figured Maple, Mahogany, Oak
Favorite smelling wood: Olive, Cinnamon, Amboyna
Also ran's: Horisties Burl, Mallee Burl, Black Walnut Burl, Olive Burl, Box Elder, maple burl, oak burl, cocobolo, padauk, holly, buckeye

Least Favorite List:
Materials that stink (literally): Antler, Ebony, Zebrawood, Acrylic
Hardest Materials To Turn: Horisties Burl, Alabaster , Balsa (seems to bend and flex really easily, which invariably causes the skew to make spirals or kindling), Lignum Vitae, Ebony

FWIW - I have one customer, who every year, orders 2-3 Antler pens for various people. "She loves how pretty it is". These are the only Antler pens I make anymore, and I dread early November when she calls me to order them because I can't stand the way it smells.

I've only turned, or attempted to turn, alabaster once. I couldn't get it to stay together, pieces would continuously crumble off of it. I imagine that putting it in a pressure pot with some form of glue or something would help...but I don't have that setup at this time.

 

[Rick_G]

Just about any burl, maple or walnut crotch wood. I've got some maple crotch wood that puts some burls I have seen to shame. Oh and especially free wood that has been saved from the firewood pile.

 

[PenTurnerfromMaine]

Cocobolo

 

[penmanship]

1. Amboyna Burl
2. B.O.W

in that order......

 

[David Keller]

Any burl, cross-cut spalted hackberry, and desert ironwood.

Best single blank I ever turned was chinaberry burl... cream and pale yellow and full of colorful bark inclusions. Somebody gave it to me, and I've never seen another one.

 

[witz1976]

I too am a cocobolo fan, but I have some amboyna that I never turned yet...guess I will have to try it soon. Oh, cherry burl is also nice to turn

 

[krc0604]

B-eye Maple and Walnut Burl. Ebony is nice as well

 

[Glenn McCullough]

Carolina cherry burl, followed by amboyna burl very closely.

 

[the_benz]

1) Camateo
2) Masur Birch
3) Bois DeRose

When I can find some good pieces.

Gregg

 

[willardz]

Ambroyna Burl, Olivewood, Curly and Birds Eye Maple, Rosewood

 

[Sberger]

Any burl is great, but Cocobolo is elegant!

 

[tseger]

My favorites are BOW and Honduras Rosewood Burl.

 

[JakeAB]

1. Any wood I haven't tried yet (it's the journey, more so than the destination).
2. Any wood where my first attempt was less than stellar (I love a challenge).
3. Wood. Did I mention I love wood?

 

[avbill]

so many species of wood

Desert Ironwood, Ambrosia, burl Masur Birch, Colobolo, Mallee Burl, Buckeye Burl, Curly Koa, Curly Mango, Mesquite Burl, Bethlehem Olive wood

three are my 10 favorite:biggrin:

 

[Moosewatcher]

English Walnut. It has conservative beauty.

Ken
Blue Bell, PA