AUSTRALIAN CONKERBERRY

[PenPal]

Grows as a large bush in the bush country in nth Australia.Carissa spinarum part of the Apocynaceae family. Indiginous called the Pink Conkerberry for obvious reason.

It fruits and multiplies by layering forming clumps of trees. Covered in thorns,my mate who has just retired from gathering (he is just a bit younger than me,i was born in 1934).

One of the first ,most impressive timbers for me in the 1980,s. White Ants in profusion and coming out of a nasty drought makes this timber rarer than ever.The ants are very aggressive in the nth of this country. Add to the thorns snakes use the clumps for their own so gathering can be a bloody,unpleasant task. My mate lies flat out cuts at the base and pulls with his truck.

Aboriginals call it a bush plum ,it has small plum like fruit.To get enough solid timber to cut across grain happens and when it does magic appears.

Kind regards Peter.

 

[Ed McDonnell]

Nice looking wood. Never heard of conkerberry. After reading your post, it doesn't sound like the kind of plant I need growing on my property, no matter how nice the wood looks!

Thanks for an interesting read.

Ed

 

[greenacres2]

Great looking pen--and having read your post Peter, I think if I ever make it to Australia I shan't harvest any conkerberry!!
earl

 

[magpens]

Very nice pen, Peter !!!

Interesting wood ... would like to try some ... but where to get it !! ? ... LOL !

I find your turning to fit Cigar very interesting also ... I never thought of overall shaping like that ... will have to try it !!

 

[MRDucks2]

Fascinating colors in the wood. Thanks for sharing.


Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app

 

[bsshog40]

Very nice wood! Very nice turning also!

 

[robutacion]

Grows as a large bush in the bush country in nth Australia.Carissa spinarum part of the Apocynaceae family. Indiginous called the Pink Conkerberry for obvious reason.

It fruits and multiplies by layering forming clumps of trees. Covered in thorns,my mate who has just retired from gathering (he is just a bit younger than me,i was born in 1934).

One of the first ,most impressive timbers for me in the 1980,s. White Ants in profusion and coming out of a nasty drought makes this timber rarer than ever.The ants are very aggressive in the nth of this country. Add to the thorns snakes use the clumps for their own so gathering can be a bloody,unpleasant task. My mate lies flat out cuts at the base and pulls with his truck.

Aboriginals call it a bush plum ,it has small plum like fruit.To get enough solid timber to cut across grain happens and when it does magic appears.

Kind regards Peter.

G'day Peter,

I'm familiar with that tree/bush species from when I lived in the NT in the early 90's, I never brought any with me as I didn't have any use for it then, I have seen great images that I suggest, people, to have a look here of what this bush looks like and the wood that it produces as for the berries, not the sweetest but eatable, I have home a very small sample of that wood, smaller than a normal pen blank but it has great orange colours...!

You've done a great job on that pen...!:wink:

Cheers
George

 

[PenPal]

Grows as a large bush in the bush country in nth Australia.Carissa spinarum part of the Apocynaceae family. Indiginous called the Pink Conkerberry for obvious reason.

It fruits and multiplies by layering forming clumps of trees. Covered in thorns,my mate who has just retired from gathering (he is just a bit younger than me,i was born in 1934).

One of the first ,most impressive timbers for me in the 1980,s. White Ants in profusion and coming out of a nasty drought makes this timber rarer than ever.The ants are very aggressive in the nth of this country. Add to the thorns snakes use the clumps for their own so gathering can be a bloody,unpleasant task. My mate lies flat out cuts at the base and pulls with his truck.

Aboriginals call it a bush plum ,it has small plum like fruit.To get enough solid timber to cut across grain happens and when it does magic appears.

Kind regards Peter.

G'day Peter,

I'm familiar with that tree/bush species from when I lived in the NT in the early 90's, I never brought any with me as I didn't have any use for it then, I have seen great images that I suggest, people, to have a look here of what this bush looks like and the wood that it produces as for the berries, not the sweetest but eatable, I have home a very small sample of that wood, smaller than a normal pen blank but it has great orange colours...!

You've done a great job on that pen...!:wink:

Cheers
George

Hi George if you look into the page you called here you will see a pic of heaps of offcuts under Peter,those were mine. I gave away a big bag to a mate for casting.

Kind regards Peter.

 

[robutacion]

Wow, a table full of it...!

I don't think your friend will be running short of casting wood in a hurry, huh..?:biggrin:

Cheers
George