What are some of the darker burls?

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Wood Butcher

Wood Butcher

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I'm wanting to try some different burl materials for the realistic cigar pens (preferably stabilized) and am looking for suggestions. I have used stabilized maple burl, red malee burl and desert ironwood that wasn't a burl and wasn't stabilized but turned out nice. I'm planning a trip to a local cigar store next week to look at and photograph some of the high end stogies. What say you folks, any ideas? Thanks in advance.
WB
 
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Bill; Do you want the pen to look like a real cigar, or look like a pen with the ash and clip? Real cigars are brown and have a dull finish on the leaf. Most high end cigar pens that I see for sale, have fancy grains and a shiny finish. As you noticed on the cigar I posted, it had a shiny finish because or the Quilted Sapele blank. It was pointed out that this wasn't a realistic finish. Which was true. Any tight grained darker wood will work. Mahogany would be my choise for a truly realistic cigar. Afican rosewood if you want a little more grain. If I'm going to spend the extra money on a fancy blank, I want it to stand out !! Jim S
 
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Absolutely right Jim, real cigars have a rather dull appearance and usually a very even color due to the leaf used for the final wrap. I have found that if I make one like that, say from a piece of mahogany, it looks real but boring. When folks see one made from a burl they can't believe it isn't real. It is all about perceptions, they "think" it looks more real when there is a pattern to it. What I'm after is the one they think is real not the one that looks authentic. I made one this morning from a non stabilized red melee over sized blank and it turned out nicely. I made a list of the suggestions you guys posted and will go on the hunt for these. I prefer stabilized blanks for the cigar body and non stabilized buckeye for the ash. I final sand with either 1500 or 1800 Micro Mesh sanding the length of the blank getting it to a dull finish. I grind up the left over stub of the buckeye and put the dust in one of the small pen part bags for the "ash" to be placed in an ashtray with the pen. I'm gonna make one without the ash, just "carve" the open end to look like an unused cigar. I'll probably buy one to use as a model. I can't remember having as much fun making pens as this has been. Trying to perfect the process so that, when it is screwed together the joint lines up perfectly and all but disappears has been a fun challenge. Wayne says the tutorial should be up this week or next so everyone can make them. I'm working on making a cigar box full then will make the cigar box to keep them in. It's called: retired with too much time on my hands. Thanks for all the ideas guys.
WB
William Bettag (Bill)
Wood Butcher
 
Wood Butcher said:
Absolutely right Jim, real cigars have a rather dull appearance and usually a very even color due to the leaf used for the final wrap. I have found that if I make one like that, say from a piece of mahogany, it looks real but boring. When folks see one made from a burl they can't believe it isn't real. It is all about perceptions, they "think" it looks more real when there is a pattern to it. What I'm after is the one they think is real not the one that looks authentic. I made one this morning from a non stabilized red melee over sized blank and it turned out nicely. I made a list of the suggestions you guys posted and will go on the hunt for these. I prefer stabilized blanks for the cigar body and non stabilized buckeye for the ash. I final sand with either 1500 or 1800 Micro Mesh sanding the length of the blank getting it to a dull finish. I grind up the left over stub of the buckeye and put the dust in one of the small pen part bags for the "ash" to be placed in an ashtray with the pen. I'm gonna make one without the ash, just "carve" the open end to look like an unused cigar. I'll probably buy one to use as a model. I can't remember having as much fun making pens as this has been. Trying to perfect the process so that, when it is screwed together the joint lines up perfectly and all but disappears has been a fun challenge. Wayne says the tutorial should be up this week or next so everyone can make them. I'm working on making a cigar box full then will make the cigar box to keep them in. It's called: retired with too much time on my hands. Thanks for all the ideas guys.
WB
William Bettag (Bill)
Wood Butcher
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You're in a position that many of aspire to Bill! :wink:
 
Wood Butcher said:
I'm wanting to try some different burl materials for the realistic cigar pens (preferably stabilized) and am looking for suggestions. I have used stabilized maple burl, red malee burl and desert ironwood that wasn't a burl and wasn't stabilized but turned out nice. I'm planning a trip to a local cigar store next week to look at and photograph some of the high end stogies. What say you folks, any ideas? Thanks in advance.
WB
Click to expand...

Well, the only one that I have that could be suitable for cigar making is my Colonial Red Gum Burl that is one of those that, the more "eyes" the wood have the more fracture cracks the wood will have, identical with some of the Jarra Burl.

In fact, very recently I have added 2 more varieties of the Colonial (very aged timber/trees) Red Gum wood, I had the normal #9 wood, the #9 Burl, now I have also the #9 Curly and the #9 Root, all very different but all from the same wood species.

For the #9 Burl, there is a very small number of blanks that are cut at 21mm square x 130mm long that have lots of eyes and no cracks, those are rare and far in between however, if they are what you want, I can have a look and see what I can do...!

Let me know...!

Cheers
George
 

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Second Claro walnut burl, it's dark as darker cigars, but still has a lot of figure under direct light. Though, the blanks that I have are very soft, made one pen to try, but probably will stabilize other 4.

Here is that pen, under normal light it looks much more darker.
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Haven't thought to make cigar from that:)
 
Don't judge a cigar by it's color. Here are some I keep next to my desk to smoke during the week.
 

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Great options offered but if I read the question right, the question is, "what are some of the darker burls..???"

As such, my darkest has been shown, the only other that will be darker again, will be the Jarra Burl, that I don't have any...!

As for woods suitable to make cigars and have a realistic appearance, if the finished isn't too glossy, the "Cigar wood" here that I once advertised in here, is still my best match, I have only a few left cut at 6" long x 21mm square...!

Cheers
George
 
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