There are many species of wood throughout the world and I have discovered that exact identification can be quite the challenge. In my furniture building I typically limited my work with about six locally available species of wood. Since learning the art of pen crafting and advancing my turning skills, I have started working with dozens of species. Some are easy to come by, others, not so much. Some are easy to work with, and again, others, not so much. In talking to some of my customers I’ve worked with to put together custom orders, I found that I needed to come up with a way to make wood selection easier. I’ve delved into the science of wood identification and learned, while there is a wealth of information out there through multiple sources, there isn’t universal agreement on actual identification on a number of species. Also, a wood that grows in multiple parts of the globe is often referred to by multiple names. What I intend to do here is give the best guess, drawn from what I’m able to find on the subject, and give each of these a name so as to make it easier for you to select. I will also indicate if I have it in abundance or not. And I’ll advise you if it is difficult to work with or come by, that it might cost a bit more. What follows is a sampling of most of what I have on hand and still willing to work with. As I come across other offerings I’ll be adding to this collection.
