Today I was browsing George's website planning my next (first) order. First, there are so many awesome Aussie woods, it is really incredible. But what really took me back to my childhood was reading about all of the wood that was saved from the firewood pile. Growing up in Minnesota we always burned wood to heat our house, I always helped my dad cut wood. Where I grew up there were entire forests being killed by oak wilt, so we had plenty of dead dry wood to choose from, mostly white oak. Also, the wood didn't have much value other than to burn due to worm holes (I guess actually beetles, I don't know...). Anyway, every once in a while there was collateral damage, once involving a truck, but what I really meant was higher value trees. Sometimes cherry or maple, and very rarely a mystical wood that my dad taught me was ironwood. I was amazed by how hard it was, I would take a small piece and walk around clinking it on stuff. Earlier this week I made my first pen out of desert ironwood, its been on my counter for a few days and every time I look at it I think about those days cutting wood with my dad. The Minnesota ironwood (Ostrya Virginiana, or Hophornbeam) probably isn't as interesting as the desert cousin, but I'd love to get my hands on a few pen blanks to make one for my dad. Unfortunately, the stuff really isn't available, and reliably getting Ostrya Virginiana is close to impossible. Maybe I'll get lucky someday.
Well mate, anyone that has been following my work since a few years back will have no doubt of what "wood/trees" mean to me and the fact that, I hate to see wood being wasted.
This doesn't mean that all firewood is a waste, no sir, in fact, I use about 4 cubic meters of firewood each year, however, there is fire wood and firewood if you know what I mean.
Sure, there are those that do not have any idea about trees and woods apart from the fact that, they need some each year to keep themselves warm, either by buying or cutting it themselves, they get what is available to them and that is that I don't blame those people, they simply don't know any better and as far as they are concern, they will get or buy the wood they know will burn clean, last a long time and if it is used for cooking with, something that will give a pleasant flavor to the food, those are normally the hardwoods...!
It hurts me to know that, quality woods are wasted every day or burnt into firewood but if you have read my last entry (post #53) on
this thread, you see that some folks around here are burning burl wood (Mallee root burl) as firewood, the most expensive firewood this place sells but something that my folks are more than willing to pay the extra money for the burning quality of this stuff and something that is quite rare to find in firewood yards.
Still, I can accept this a lot better than seeing trees being bulldozed down and pushed into a pile to be burnt, that really hurts...!
So, I can hear you loud and clear...!
PS: I'm sure that you will find something to order from my stash and that you would like to turn.:wink:
Cheers
George
