The Last Two Sets of my Laos Burl Assortments for Sale

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egnald

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Jun 9, 2017
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3,062
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Columbus, Nebraska, USA
Greetings from Nebraska.

Thank you to everyone that checked out the blanks I had for sale last Saturday it was very much appreciated.

Set #2 has been Claimed by Darios - Thank You - Dave
Set #1 has been Claimed by jrista - Thank You - Dave
This will close the thread - A big Thank You to Everyone!


As I have said before, I am usually buying exotic blanks rather than selling them, but I have run into a situation where I must part with some of these rare blanks. I acquired these from a fellow named Souphong Manikhong who lives with his family in Laos. Souphong sources rare and exotic woods from Laos and brings them to California where he and his brothers operate a wood art carving business. He cuts the scrap pieces that are large enough into pen blanks.

These are the last of my prized burls that are available. Each set contains eleven burl blanks, each from a different and rare species found in Laos. The blanks all measure a little shy of 3/4-inch and are about 5-inches long give or take. Some of them have a coat of shellac on two or more sides that Souphong applies to seal the wood before he ships it out of Laos - thus the shiny spots you might see on some of them.

I am asking $120 for each set of 11 blanks plus $12 for shipping through USPS Priority Mail. Unfortunately since I am using Priority Mail they can only ship to those of you with addresses here in the USA - Sorry. PayPal is my preferred payment method. Of course, if someone should buy both sets, I will adjust the shipping accordingly. And of course, I will add in as many bonus blanks as I can fit in the shipping box before I take it to the Post Office.

I highly recommend printing pictures of these sets on full size sheets of paper to look at them. It will give you a excellent perspective of how the blanks look as it puts them side-by-side and close to actual size. A short description of each species that these burls came from follows the pictures.

If you are interested in either of these sets, please request the set number by replying to this thread and I will send a PM to you so we can exchange the necessary PayPal and shipping details. Thanks again for helping me out by taking a look at these wonderful blanks.

Best Regards,
Dave

PS To give you an idea of how they look on finished pens, I also attached thumbnails of a few pens at the end of the post. - Dave

Set #1: (Click on Thumbnails to Enlarge)
(Front) .......................................... (Side Rotated 90) ....................... (Back Rotated 180) ..................... (Side Rotated 270)

Set 1 - Front (Rotated 0) - Copy.jpg Set 1 - Rotated 90 - Copy.jpg Set 1 - Back (Rotated 180) - Copy.jpg Set 1 - Rotated 270 - Copy.jpg

Set #2: (Click on Thumbnails to Enlarge)
(Front) .......................................... (Side Rotated 90) ...................... (Back Rotated 180) .................. (Side Rotated 270)

Set 2 - Front (Rotated 0) - Copy.jpg Set 2 - Rotated 90 - Copy.jpg Set 2 - Back (Rotated 180) - Copy.jpg Set 2 - Rotated 270.jpg

Rambutan Burl - Rambutan is a fruit tree that is a close relative of the more well-known Lychee. The wood is similar in color to Goncalo Alves but is perhaps a bit deeper in its orange color. It is equally dense and durable.

Camphor Burl - Unlike many burls, the rare and prized Camphor burls stable and are usually easier to turn than most burls. The wood has a strong camphor fragrance, kind of root beer-ish when it is being worked.

Redwood Burl - Asian Redwood is commonly found in Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. It is highly valued for its red lumber and is currently considered an endangered species in Southeast Asia due to overharvesting. It has an attractive veined structure and is easy to polish.

Afzelia Burl - Afzelia burl is also called Makamong burl in Southeast Asia. It is a beautiful burl that is rare on the world market. Similar in appearance to Amboyna burl, Afzelia burl usually has a more varied figure than Amboyna.

Pyinma Burl - Pyinma is a highly figured exotic hardwood from S.E. Asia. It is also sometimes called Asian Satinwood in the US market and often produces some of the deepest 3-dimensional curl in the world. Burls are rare in the species, but when they are found they yield tight and exceptional patterns.

Amboyna Burl - Amboyna is quite rare and is often called the "King of Burls". Most Amboyna is Dark Red and is highly figured. It is dense and coarse which makes it more difficult to work however it usually turns well and takes a nice high polish. Ambonya is of course the World's most popular and sought after burl.

Sindora Burl - Sindora burl is very rare even in Southeast Asia. It yields a very gnarly and highly figured grain with a wide variety of brown, golden, and tan colors that is highly sought after by fine artisans. The gnarly grain makes the wood very resistant to splitting which is an excellent attribute for pen turners.

Ironwood Burl - Asian Iron Burl is a Southeast Asian wood with a golden-orange color. It is very similar to Asian Amboyna Burl in density and workability but is usually lighter in color. It takes a high natural polish and has good workability with sharp tools. The species is extremely rare, is highly prized, and is rarely exported.

Rubberwood Burl - Rubberwood is usually a medium blonde - tan color sometimes with brown streaks. Rubberwood is easy to work and often produces a somewhat unpleasant sour odor while being worked. Rubberwood has very little natural resistance to decay and is susceptible to insect attacks, so voids from insect intrusions are possible.

Amoora Burl - Amoora can range in color from pale to darker reddish brown. Usually the higher the density, the darker the color. It turns well and sometimes has a pleasant smell. It is in the same family as and is considered a cross between Honduran Mahogany and Spanish Cedar.

Stone Hopea Burl - Although Stone Hopea, or Hopea Stone, is an exaggeration of the woods density, it is still one of the densest species in Southeast Asia. It has a nice orange color with darker streaks, resembling Amboyna and Afzelia burl in color and patterns. Incursions are also common in this wood.


Here are a couple of Cigar and Designer pens I have made with burls like these:
Cigar Pen made with Rambutan Burl - Finished with CA

Cigar Rambutan Burl.jpg

Another Cigar Pen made with Rambutan Burl - Finished with CA
Cigar 2 Rambutan Burl.jpg

Designer Pen made with Camphor Burl - Finished with CA
Designer Camphor Burl.jpg

Designer Pen made with Sindora Burl - Finished with CA
Designer Sindora Burl.jpg
 

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Darios

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"PS To give you an idea of how they look on finished pens, I also attached thumbnails of a few pens at the end of the post. -"

Cheating.
And effective. Set 2 please. :)
 

egnald

Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2017
Messages
3,062
Location
Columbus, Nebraska, USA
"PS To give you an idea of how they look on finished pens, I also attached thumbnails of a few pens at the end of the post. -"

Cheating.
And effective. Set 2 please. :)
Thanks - Set #2 is yours - I will send a PM to you shortly. They really do make stunning pens! - and of course, Thank You! - Dave
 
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