Ironwood Trees

[reed43]

For some of the penturners who have never been in the desert southwest, or have never seen a Ironwood here are some pictures of three Ironwood trees. All these trees are on property where I worked for over 35 years. The trees look almost the same today as they did on my first day of work.

 

[DWK5150]

I think you need to cut them up and make some nice blanks out of those.

 

[Dario]

Wonderful burls on them too!!! [:0][:0][:0]

 

[wayneis]

WOW, Ironwood Burl is one of my favorite woods for pens. Those babies need a little trimming.

Wayne

 

[Dario]

I was told that desert ironwood don't like trimming. Most die after being trimmed...even just cutting a major branch. The middle pic looks dead [, maybe you should offer to remove and clean it up Reed. []

 

[thetalbott4]

How is it possible that you have not, in the middle of the night, gone out and started harvesting those burls? I would shake and sweat like a dry alcoholic in a distillery! I wouldnt last 35 days, let alone 35 years. I wonder if there is a 12 step program for burl addicted folks like myself? Not that I have a problem...

 

[reed43]

For the last ten years the middle picture has just enough green leaves to call it alive.[]

 

[johncrane]

middle won looks like a dead wood and time to be turned into works off art. you get my driffed []

 

[angboy]

Originally posted by thetalbott4
<br />How is it possible that you have not, in the middle of the night, gone out and started harvesting those burls? I would shake and sweat like a dry alcoholic in a distillery! I wouldnt last 35 days, let alone 35 years. I wonder if there is a 12 step program for burl addicted folks like myself? Not that I have a problem...

Uh-oh Scott, my prediction for you is not a good recovery- you aren't even able to accept and admit that you have a problem. Doesn't bode well for being able to stay away from the object of your addiction! But you could try and deal with it by first sending me one each of every type of burl pen blank you have. That way I'll know exactly what we're dealing with here, and you'll be starting to let go of your addiction (literally) and maybe, just maybe, some insight will start to creep in! [}][}]

 

[wdcav1952]

Reed,

Thanks for sharing these pictures. I had no idea what the trees looked like. They definitely fit their environment.

 

[Rifleman1776]

That's not only interesting, but informative. I've never seen i'wood trees. The top one looks very gnarly and burly, majorly tempting to cut up.

 

[bonefish]

Dario:

You might be on to something. The middle tree appears to have had at least two limbs cut off in years past, and there are a lot of dead limbs on the ground around it.

Reed said that it has only enough green leaves on it to be considered live.

Whatever the reason, it is not as healthy as the others.

Bonefish

 

[DocStram]

I vote for us meeting at Reed's with out chainsaws .... in the middle of the night!

 

[huntersilver]

Not the most beauitful trees I have seen, but they make great pen blanks!

 

[Dario]

Originally posted by huntersilver
<br />Not the most beauitful trees I have seen, but they make great pen blanks!

I've learned that the uglier trees that looks sick and weather beaten produce the most interesting wood grains, patterns and blanks.

 

[mdburn_em]

I very much apprciate seeing those trees. I live in an area where we have nothing besides cottonwoods and willows that grow naturally. It was especially interesting to see the burls on the tree. I've never seen a burl (live) so pictures are the next best thing.
Thanks for sharing,

 

[byounghusband]

Not the most beauitful trees I have seen, but they make great pen blanks!

That's what keeps me turning!! To see the beauty God has tucked away under the bark for us to find.[]

 

[reed43]

Somebody wanted to see these pictures and I did not know how to send them so I retrieved them here.

 

[bob393]

WOW:
Thats wahat they look like, I think a trimming is in order.
Just a little trimming, nothing crazy.

 

[keithz]

These pics prove that beauty is not skin deep, but it is what is below the surface that counts. As gnarly as those trees look, they should have spectacular grain.

Thanks for showing us the photos, Reed.

keith

 

[BigRob777]

Reed,
I have heard that there is some kind of law regarding the cutting of DI trees. It may just be scuttlebutt.
Rob

 

[reed43]

You are right they are a protected item.

 

[wudnhed]

I think it's OK to pick it up off the ground if it has broken from the tree. We picked up some the other day and other people burn it in their fires out in the desert.[]