Pen done in White Pine

Soft Woods

Soft woods in this area of the world consist of spruce, fir, pine and cedar. Because of their softness I don’t use them too often. They can get dings rather easily. If you think you will be in an environment where the pen or other wooden object would not come to any physical impact, the softwoods are generally a very light to near white color. I do use a fair amount of cedar burl and pine. Pine is intersting because it is very light but it also contains small pitch pockets that are spaced evenly throughout. The pitch does not bleed out of the finish but creates a unique look due to the small, dark dots on a light background.

Hardwoods

Our hardwoods consist of maple, beech, yellow and white birch and cherry. These are strong, durable wood that can stand rough handling. The hardwoods are often hard to tell apart in pen form. Their individuality lies in the grain that each one has. One of the maples, commonly known as the Box Elder, contains a very distinctive pink hue in it. Purple Liliacs also have a natural hue in them. Within in the grain, certain layers are lilac colored. I was amazed to discover this and find that they make very elegent turned products be it a pen, letter opener or bookmark.

White Maple and Pen

Cherry Burl

Burls and Spalting

You will see that I offer things like “Spalted Maple” or “Cherry Burl.” These are not subspecies, rather, they are growth forms and decay. A burl is a round growth on a tree, similar to a mole on one’s skin. They don’t appear to be detrimental to the tree as I have seen burls 4 -5 feet in diameter on huge pines. Inside the burl the grain of the tree looks like it has been stirred. The effect on a pen is that instead of a straight grain, the grain is swirled and intricate. Very striking. Spalting, on the other hand, probably means that the tree is on its way out. Spalting is the first stages of decay. Now this doesn’t mean that you would be buying a rotting pen, the process is halted when the wood is dried out and coated in finish. Spalting accents the grain and creates dark and light areas.

Choosing a Wood

If you see a style of pen or other product that you really like, but would like it in another type of wood, let me know. Generally, I have a good supply of the different types of wood and can turn you out the pen in your desired wood. If you are from outside of Maine and have a chunk of wood that you would like to have turned, I can do that wood too. I have had opportunity to experiment with a couple of exotic woods and my daughter brought back a piece of spalted pinyon pine as a momento of fire fighting in Utah that fashioned into a very interesting looking pen. If you have any questions, please drop me a line.

Lilac Bush Pen