What are some of the rarest woods?

[Younka]

Im just wanting to get some knowledge of what you think or what are proven to be the rarest woods in the world? Any one have any ideas?

 

[Ted iin Michigan]

Dunno who makes the determinations but I've read someplace that several of the ebonys are "endangered" (?). Especially Macassar Ebony and Gaboon ebony. Also have heard that pink ivory is scarce. The Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) lists (among others) Lignum Vitae, Cocobolo and Honduran Rosewood - all woods in common use by pen turners but, interestingly, does not list any of the ebonys above nor Pink Ivory.

More (useless) info - Seems to me I remember last Summer that the Feds raided Gibson Guitar and seized wood. It was supposed to have been sold to them by a FSC certified supplier and (I think) included Macassar ebony.

 

[G1Pens]

The other night on CSI they solved a crime by identifying a sliver of wood from pink ivoiry, which they stated was "on of the three rarest woods in the world".

I know its tv and they are very loose with what they say and do, but usually there is some fact in some of it......

 

[HSTurning]

This comes up every few months. Do a search for "rarest woods" and you will get a bunch of threads but 1 or 2 per page will have people talking about the different rare woods.

 

[its_virgil]

Every wood I have read about or seen that was claimed as rare, very rare, or one of the rarest woods in the world made me wonder because I have had no problem getting pen blanks of the same wood. Advertisers claim rarity all of the time but the same wood is on sale by other vendors. I have not figured it out yet.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

 

[ve3bax]

"rare" may be geographically dependant... what might be rare in North America could be easily obtainable in Australia for example.

this could be further complicated by export or other restrictions... Gibson was mentioned above... i think the feds were after them because of some alleged brazilian rosewood which has all sorts of restrictions around it and heaps of documentation that need to be provided to prove when it was cut etc etc to ensure that it was wood that was harvested before the tree was protected from further cutting and so on.

I guess i didn't directly answer the question but I figured id throw in my 2c worth...

--Dave

 

[ragz]

Kauri, Haung Hauli, Jichimu only because they don't grow anymore

Pink Ivory, Brazilian Rosewood and Snakewood are listed in more than a few places as the rarest with African Blackwood popping up quite a bit

 

[Younka]

Nice, I got all three of the Woods you listed!

Kauri, Haung Hauli, Jichimu only because they don't grow anymore

Pink Ivory, Brazilian Rosewood and Snakewood are listed in more than a few places as the rarest with African Blackwood popping up quite a bit

 

[Curly]

Petrified. Hard to get and work. :wink:

 

[Younka]

Hahaha, is it even possible to make a pen out of petrified wood?

Petrified. Hard to get and work. :wink:

 

[Rick P]

As stated earlier rare is geographically dependant. Add bog oak to the list of "ancient" or "preserved" woods. IMHO these represent the rarest woods, when current supplies are gone the material is......forever!

And yes Gibson did get popped for not having it's ducks in a row!

 

[Russianwolf]

Nice, I got all three of the Woods you listed!

Kauri, Haung Hauli, Jichimu only because they don't grow anymore

Pink Ivory, Brazilian Rosewood and Snakewood are listed in more than a few places as the rarest with African Blackwood popping up quite a bit

As said in the other thread, Huali and Jichimu are not extinct, but not commercially valuable any longer due to the size and scarcity of the trees. They are both slow growing and were harvested to the point that commercial production ventures are too expensive to get a decent return.

Think American Chestnut. It's still out there, but no longer used in commercial production because it hard to get large quantities. It was once the premier American furniture wood.

Now I would definitely include them in the "hardest to come by" catagory which I think is what you really want to use to define rarity. Very few sources exist for either new growth or antique boards. Same can be said for Cocobolo Burl. Nolan had mentioned Purpleheart burl in the past also, but I've yet to see a piece. Hard to come by.

Chittum is another hard to come by wood that comes to mind.

 

[LeeR]

I've read about the Gibson fiasco, and so I'd probably say "legal Gibson wood" would be among the rarest ... (at least according to the Feds. Seems to me to be typical misplaced federal priorities at best.)

 

[PenPal]

Huon Pine Burl found only in Tasmania the sthn most part of Australia, bear in mind once it is dry, cut up it is real hard to determine if it was illegally sourced like Elephant Tusk its there and about. Reason for rare etc it grows but mm,s a year in rainforest and grows for thousands of years, I have seen and used some sections of these trees.

It was said of Pink Ivory from AFRICA it is rare as hens teeth and I agree the loose naming of other place sourced Pink Ivory,s are plentiful.

Why not determine availability from large timber providers in the real world suspect exaggeration on this subject flourishes, take Olive Wood from the Holy Land Certificates of Authenticity abound real truth obscured.

As a young married I bought a 1926 A Model Ford Tourer suddenly this is in the 1950,s they appeared to be like grasshoppers something about awareness knowledge.

Are you looking for bragging rights or genuine collectability eg here in Australia Eucalypts number in there thousands of separate names, one timber common name Australian Carneii only grows in a few places carefully guarded common name Australian Purpleheart unlike the Sth American Purpleheart doesnt lose its colour.

Extinction determines rarity, when I first started making pens I had this ambition to make one pen of every timber named (vain hope) on reflection. Postage stamps and coins are collected for their rarity with huge volumes and catalogues devoted to this subject.

I suspect timber rarity can be in the eye of the beholder, value is what you can get in a fire sale or emergency when you are desparate financially otherwise as I said as is common on this forum I call bragging so called rights.

As I mature towards 80 yrs of age like so many people values and rarity fade into insignificance alongside family and friends, enjoyment of timber is forever value and rarity in the eye of the beholder.

KInd regards Peter.

 

[robutacion]

Hahaha, is it even possible to make a pen out of petrified wood?

Petrified. Hard to get and work. :wink:

Absolutely...! not something that everyone would even consider but, a few specialized "inexpensive" tools, a steady hand and lots of time and is most achievable.

I also agree with Peter in regards to what ones perceives as "rarity", I've seen and heard about pieces of "wood", the size of common pen blank size, to be valued at many hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars, and sure, I would consider "rare" as something that no longer exists in is true form, in this cases, tree species. The second category of rare, if one can call it that, is wood that was used for a specific purpose, such as old boat building or ancient structures, that may have still the same tree species in existence today but without the historical significance those old timber may offer...!

Not every of the "rarest" woods is pretty and grain rich, in fact, I've seen some of the most "boring" pieces of wood being "tagged" with extremely high prices, all due to the historical significance and not for its beauty...!:wink:

In my position as a wood gatherer and salvager, my criteria for rare is well different that the commercial mentality of rarity, finding a log that will not be ever matched with any other is to me a rare find, slicing some woods out and finding *gems"/ "treasures" within is a rarity and I will never find another piece exactly the same.

Between the common woods and the less common ones, there are many rarities that never will be matched, and the major difference in between reading/seeing about a boring piece of wood that has a tag price beyond reach for 95% of us and the most beautiful and exquisite specimens that we can get from what we still have growing and readily available to most of us for a price tag that we all can afford, makes the difference between talking about it (dreaming) only, and actually having the opportunity and pleasure to touch/feel/smell and work with these woods, I do prefer the later, any time...!:wink:

Wood collecting is like the rainbow, looks so reachable but never is...!
I "collect" woods as I go, a simple pen blank size piece of wood is enough for me to put a side in my personal stash storage as a display piece. Gathering as many different tree wood pieces as I can, while I'm about, is my goal but in no way I would even consider to collect a piece of wood from every tree in existence and pieces from the non-existent live trees species.

There are wood species out there that, have not yet been discovered and probably never will so, unless you make wood collection your life dedicated work, start very young and be a multi millionaire and live a very long life, your chances are pretty close to bugger-all...!:frown: still, there will be a few out there still leaving that dream...!:wink:

Good luck...!

Cheers
George

 

[Rick P]

Hahaha, is it even possible to make a pen out of petrified wood?

Petrified. Hard to get and work. :wink:

If I can turn one out of 10,000+ year old mammoth bone I don't see why not.........