A new one on me. Bought someone's cache of pen stuff and these were with the blanks. Seems to be dipped? But has to be a bit more than that or all of the color would get turned away. I figure someone here knows what is going on... TIA
What's up with these blanks?
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Bean_Counter
Member
It's just heart wood (dark) and sap wood (light) from the tree of whatever species it is.
Maybe? Touching them, it feels like the dark was added somehow. I hope you're right, that could be kinda cool.
hewunch
Member
Looks like African Blackwood, heart and sap. The heartwood (black) will likely be denser
Bean_Counter
Member
Yep heart wood will be senser
jttheclockman
Member
That is probably just the way they cut those blanks from whatever board they had. But what stands out to me is what in the world did they cut the blanks with?? Did they use a machete? I have seen rough sawn lumber with smoother cut lines.
Gary Beasley
Member
Looks like it was done with a dull bandsaw.
Agreed Bandsaw with the guard and guide bearings up way to high so the blade could flutter while cutting.
Either that or they used a beaver to do it.
Agreed. The sapwood is pretty thin on these trees, and usually these kinds of blanks wouldn't be sold for pens. They are normally dead black.
I doubt that the black is some kind of resin added, though...based on the picture, it looks like it has a grain. Blackwood, like Ebony, is very very dense wood, and it feels quite different from other hardwoods with more "normal" densities. Its also got kind of a ring to it, which is what makes such good woodwind instruments. I guess you could use that as a bit of a test...tap the black parts of two blanks together. You should hear that it sounds different, higher pitched, than other woods, or the sapwood when tapped together. That might be a telling factor whether its real or not.
Woodchipper
Member
Maybe cut by termites? Let us see some pens if possible. I do think they are odd.
leehljp
Member Liaison
Wow, some of your computer screens might need adjusting, or mine. I have never seen blue heartwood. Doesn't look black to me. Looks like they dipped it in two different colors of blue paint - light blue and midnight dark blue.
Stephen
Member
My screen also shows blue.
I think that is a matter of light color and white balance of the photo, more than the wood actually being blue. It looks like the blanks are lit by a fairly "blue-white" light, probably something 6500K or maybe even 9000K (kelvin) white point temperature. If the photo wasn't white balanced properly, then black will show up a bit "blue".
Look through the blue cast, and you can see the wood grain. Its dark blackish and a very slightly lighter brown color. If the white was balanced, I think it would look how you would expect it to, although with the saw marks in the wood like that, its scattering a lot of light, so its tough to see the underlying grain regardless.
jttheclockman
Member
I also see blue.
Gary Beasley
Member
I have seen pictures of black and white ebony, maybe it was cut from something like that.
leehljp
Member Liaison
The lighting did not alter the pine colors of the background.
I think it did. The whole image has a "cool" color temp. I'm using a wide gamut screen, and if it was blue, it would be particularly blue on this screen. It really looks like the photo was taken with a fairly cool light source, probably something around 6500K or so. There also DOES appear to be wood grain, which is more noticeable in the right hand blank that is vertical. If this was resin, I wouldn't expect there to be wood grain...
Woodchipper
Member
Adding: I see the blanks as blue.
Taken outdoors, cloudy day, on roofed and screened patio. No flash, just the natural lighting of that place at that time. No attempt at white balance beyond what the Android camera did on its own. I did crop a bit, but don't recall allowing it to "enhance" the photo.
A cloudy day has a VERY cool color temperature. I mentioned 6500K, but a cloudy day is more like 10000K. I think that explains the blue cast. A normal daylight sky is around 6500K, and direct sunlight is around 5200K.
As a photographer, I would expect a blue color cast for a photo taken under an overcast sky! Is there any chance you could get a closer photo of one of the blanks? If there really is a wood grain, I think that would be a telltale sign that its wood, and not just black resin.
egnald
Member
I captured the picture and did a "Remove Color Cast" operation in Photoshop. I used the dust in the beaded areas of the board in the background as what would otherwise be "gray". The correction made a world of difference. The sapwood then looked tan and the heartwood looked nearly black while the background board still looked brown, more vibrant and "honey" colored, but I think it actually looked more like natural wood than it does in the original photo.
After the correction, the wood started to resemble Brazilian Ebony with Sapwood. Not only the colors and contrast between the dark and light wood, but also the grain / flecks that can be seen in the sapwood. I have also seen Gaboon Ebony with Sapwood that has similar characteristics.
- Dave
After the correction, the wood started to resemble Brazilian Ebony with Sapwood. Not only the colors and contrast between the dark and light wood, but also the grain / flecks that can be seen in the sapwood. I have also seen Gaboon Ebony with Sapwood that has similar characteristics.
- Dave