What is your Favorite Texas Domestic Wood for pen turning?

[Magnifying the Master]

Just wondering what everyones favorite Texas Domestic Wood for pen turning?

 

[BoonareeBurl]

Texas lignum vitae.

G

 

[Magnifying the Master]

Just wondering what everyones favorite Texas Domestic Wood for pen turning?

Thank you for commenting. That is definitely one I am not familiar with. Do you have any pictures of the wood or a project you turned using it?

 

[bsshog40]

I like a nicely grained mesquite.

 

[paramount Pen]

Bodark

 

[paramount Pen]

The yellow wood in this project. Some spell it bois de ark

 

[Magnifying the Master]

I like a nicely grained mesquite.

Thank you, I have not turned a Mesquite pen yet either. Looking forward to it however.

 

[Magnifying the Master]

Bodark

Thank you! I have turned a little Bodark but not a pen, but have to put that on my list as well!

 

[GaryMGg]

Along with mesquite, osage orange (bodark), cholla cactus—which has to be cast—there's Texas ebony. Dense, harder than heck wood.

 

[egnald]

Here is a post of a pen and pencil set that I made from genuine Lignum Vitae in 2020. The blanks came from a salvaged aft propeller shaft bearing from a very old ship, the MV Doulos Phos. It was the world's oldest active ocean-fairing passenger ship until it was decommissioned in December 2009 after 95 years of active service. Lignum Vitae is extremely hard and is very prone to cracking.

Here is a post of a pen I made from Bodark (Osage Orange). It is another extremely hard wood that is prone to cracking. Here in Nebraska we usually refer to it as "Hedge Apple". It is a member of the Mulberry family and it has a yellow wood similar to Mulberry. The French and Osage tribe are the one's most responsible for the name "Bodark" as it was prized wood for bows and war clubs. The French name was bois d'arc (wood for a bow) which was anglicized into "Bodark". It's use and value was cited in the reports that Lewis of Lewis and Clark made. (Also prized by Arikaras, Comanche, Kiowa, Pawnee, Omaha, and Seminoles.

Dave

 

[mark james]

Figured mesquite for sure. Not common, but found in the NW corner - Desert Ironwood; again, look for figuring.

 

[GaryMGg]

Osage orange really shines when it's crosscut and turned.
It shows the tight grain pores rather than just straight lines.

 

[MRDucks2]

Nothing wrong with good ol' pecan, either. Especially with figure or spalting. Or both.

 

[eteska]

Black ash Burl!

 

[mark james]

Black ash Burl!

Common to Texas?????

 

[BoonareeBurl]

Thank you for commenting. That is definitely one I am not familiar with. Do you have any pictures of the wood or a project you turned using it?

Middle pen is Texas lignum vitae.

G

 

[eteska]

Common to Texas?????

Oh maybe not.