Also known as Narra and Padauk (different than the African Padauk featured elsewhere), this tree grows in South East Asia and is a favourite for furniture.  The Burl is highly sought after and generally turned into veneer.  In Myanmar (Burma), the tree is a key part of their main festival, Thingyan, and is their national flower.  The young adorn their heads with the flowers while the old offer it with reverence to Buddha.  Myanmar women's craze for the golden blossoms is perhaps due to the fact that it blooms only one day a year, with the first April showers.

"You wait a whole year, your reward lasts only a day," sings a poet in praise.

'Tru Stone' is the result of a unique process of pulverizing semi-precious stones into fine particles, combining them with other natural pigments and materials and then reforming them under tremendous heat and pressure.  The end result is a material that looks so real, it's nearly impossible to distinguish it from the genuine stone.

A small tree attaining a height of 45 feet and a diameter rarely more than 1.5 feet.  The heartwood is dark brown with predominant black lines giving it an almost black appearance.  The sapwood is a pale yellow/white.  Pens will be made primarily from the black heartwood.  For an extra amount, some contrasting sapwood can be included in the pen (as seen in the example).  The grain of Blackwood (African) may be straight or irregular and is a fine texture.  Used extensively for woodwind instruments such as oboes and gives a very good musical tone.  In Tanzania, this wood is often used for carving, as it takes a fine finish and works well.

Bocote is a large canopy tree, with some specimens in the natural rainforest reaching up to 120 feet tall and 3 feet in diameter, with a straight cylindrical bole above a narrow buttress.  Sought for its beauty for both the local and international markets, Bocote has become quite rare in many parts of its original range.

In the United States, buckeye ranges from the Appalachians of Pennsylvania, Virginia, and North Carolina westward to Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.  A most unusual burl.  Its colour ranges from bright yellow to cream with streaks of black, blue and white throughout.  Wild grained with many 'eyes'.  This is a beautiful burl which takes a very fine polish and is exceedingly difficult to turn on a lathe.

A medium sized tree attaining a height of 60 to 90 feet and a diameter of 1.5 to 2 feet.  The heartwood varies from bright orange to deep red with attractive variegated stripes of orange, yellow and black.  Takes an excellent finish.  Used for woodwind instruments, wooden jewellery and decorative work.  A very popular wood for pens.

A medium sized tree attaining a height of 60 to 90 feet and a diameter of 1.5 to 2 feet.  The heartwood varies from bright orange to deep red with attractive variegated stripes of orange, yellow and black.  Takes an excellent finish.  Used for woodwind instruments, wooden jewellery and decorative work.  A very popular wood for pens.

This non-porous material is generally used for countertops and similar applications.  It is a blend of natural minerals, pigments and acrylic resins.  It can be machined like wood (albeit VERY HARD wood), sanded and buffed to a gloss finish.  Incredibly durable, "Like a Rock".  We have limited amounts of this material currently but will be looking into this more.  Email any questions or requests about this interesting pen material.

This non-porous material is generally used for countertops and similar applications.  It is a blend of natural minerals, pigments and acrylic resins.  It can be machined like wood (albeit VERY HARD wood), sanded and buffed to a gloss finish.  Incredibly durable, "Like a Rock".  We have limited amounts of this material currently but will be looking into this more.  Email any questions or requests about this interesting pen material.

This non-porous material is generally used for countertops and similar applications.  It is a blend of natural minerals, pigments and acrylic resins.  It can be machined like wood (albeit VERY HARD wood), sanded and buffed to a gloss finish.  Incredibly durable, "Like a Rock".  We have limited amounts of this material currently but will be looking into this more.  Email any questions or requests about this interesting pen material.

This non-porous material is generally used for countertops and similar applications.  It is a blend of natural minerals, pigments and acrylic resins.  It can be machined like wood (albeit VERY HARD wood), sanded and buffed to a gloss finish.  Incredibly durable, "Like a Rock".  We have limited amounts of this material currently but will be looking into this more.  Email any questions or requests about this interesting pen material.

Crushed Shell is a synthetic cast resin, in this case from Italy.  When turned, it has the appearance of Abalone shells.

Crushed velvet is chemically similar to Lucite or Plexiglas.  It is a plastic known as methyl methacrylate, specially treated to color it and give it a wonderfully swirling, iridescent appearance.

Crushed velvet is chemically similar to Lucite or Plexiglas.  It is a plastic known as methyl methacrylate, specially treated to color it and give it a wonderfully swirling, iridescent appearance.

Crushed velvet is chemically similar to Lucite or Plexiglas.  It is a plastic known as methyl methacrylate, specially treated to color it and give it a wonderfully swirling, iridescent appearance.

Crushed velvet is chemically similar to Lucite or Plexiglas.  It is a plastic known as methyl methacrylate, specially treated to color it and give it a wonderfully swirling, iridescent appearance.

Crushed velvet is chemically similar to Lucite or Plexiglas.  It is a plastic known as methyl methacrylate, specially treated to color it and give it a wonderfully swirling, iridescent appearance.

With the possible exception of sandalwood, Koa is the best-known hardwood of the Hawaiian Islands.  Koa is a native forest tree, unique to Hawaii, and held in reverence.  Koa means bold, a quality essential to the ocean-going vessels which were adze-carved from giant logs in Big Island forests.  Koa was used by early European craftsmen in Hawaii to make western-style furniture of the last century, some of which survives as Hawaiian heritage antiques.  The wood used in these pens is Curly Koa, in which the wood has an iridescent pattern that changes with the angle at which it is held.

Ebony is the common name for members of the Ebenaceae, a family of trees and shrubs widely distributed in warmer climates and in the tropics.  The principal genus, Diospyros, includes both ebony and persimmon trees.  Ebony wood, valued from ancient times, is hard and dark; it is extensively used for piano keys and in cabinetmaking.

Eucalyptus is the tallest hardwood tree known with an average height of 150 to 200 feet with some specimens recorded at 300 feet.  A very straight trunk with an average diameter of 7 to 8 feet.  Occurs in Victoria (Australia) and Tasmania.  A Burl (also called a Burr) is a warty growth on the side of the tree, which has voids in it as well as pockets of grain and sap.  When turned, it makes a unique pen.  The voids are filled with eucalyptus sawdust and CA glue.  It can be stained for a truly different look, as the different areas and densities take up the stains in wildly differing amounts.

This is some variant of Lacewood.  It has a tighter grain pattern than She-Oak and a red/yellow colour.  Quite striking in appearance.

This wood comes from the Australian Gold Fields.  A Burl is a warty growth of wood off the side of a tree.  It is extremely hard and takes a great deal of patience to season and turn due to its swirling, changing grain.  Gold was discovered in Australia in the late 1800's, and a 'Gold Rush' similar to that in Alaska was seen.  The 'convict' period of Australian history came to an abrupt end with the discovery of gold.  For the next thirty years miners from all over the world arrived in Australia.  The goldfields in New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and Queensland yielded rich harvests.  The end of the nineteenth century saw the colonies, which had all become autonomous states, drawing together to create a unified federation.  A country with a clear identity.

Ironwood is one of the largest and longest-lived Sonoran Desert plants, reaching 45 feet in height and persisting as long as 1,500 years.  It is a single or multi-trunked evergreen tree, and displays lavender to pink flowers starting in March.  By early summer, a mast of pods matures.  Each 2-inch pod contains one to four shiny brown seeds that are relished by many Sonoran denizens, from small mammals and birds to humans.  Its heavy, dark-brown, 'iron-like' wood is renowned for making tools, carvings, and weapons.  Also known as Desert Ironwood.

Jarrah is only found in South Western Australia and is possibly one of the most sought after hardwoods.  It is used for furniture, building, and wood turning.  Collectors prize items made from Jarrah and it is very rare that a visitor to western Australia with go home without a piece of Jarrah as a souvenir.  It grows in a variety of colours ranging from light pink to chocolate brown.  The darker the colour the older the wood.  Ultimately all Jarrah will end up a chocolate brown with age.

Affected by where it grows the coastal Jarrah has a very different grain and colour to inland Jarrah.  The eucalyptus family, of which there are hundreds of varieties, has an extremely strong survival instinct and a tree will react very vigorously to being harmed in any way.  If a branch is cut off, the tree will send out many new branches to replace the one that was lost.  Frequently, borers will get into the sapwood of a tree and munch away.  The tree reacts to being damaged and tries to send out new branches.  These branches are sort of like in-grown hairs and never quite reach the surface so the tree keeps sending out new branches, all of which are stunted.  Over a period of years these turn into what we know as burls (or burrs) and grow on the side of the tree as a wart like lump.  The burls are prized by wood workers and when cut into slabs, are used for coffee table tops and dinning room table tops.  There have been some reports of burls growing as big as houses, (this may be like the fish that got away though).

A small tree with a diameter rarely more than 1 foot.  The heartwood is of variegated colours, with a violet brown background containing streaks of yellow, violet and black.  This wood has a straight grain with a fine even texture.  It is a very hard wood used for antique restoration, especially of furniture made during the Georgian period.

While not an exotic wood (at least not to us Canadians) it can produce some beautiful pens.  Portions of the wood contain pinks and reds and swirling grain, and the pens are made from these small portions.  The Manitoba maple yields a sap which makes a fine white sugar and was used widely during the depression in western Canada.  The tree grows to a height of 20 to 45 feet.  Though the tree grows quickly, it has a short life span.  Manitoba maple is a sprawling type tree with a trunk that often divides near the ground into several stout spreading limbs with bushy crowns.  The wood we have here is also called 'Candy Cane Maple' because of its appearance.

A long lived tree, it grows to about 45 feet high with a diameter of about 1 to 2 feet.  The heartwood is light to dark brown with irregular streaks of grey, brown and black giving it a marble-like appearance.

This wood, also known as "Bois D'Arc" or 'bow-wood', was used by Native Americans to make wooden bows because of its durability and flexibility.  Settlers used the wood for fence posts for the same reasons.  A medium to hard wood with a golden yellow to bright orange heartwood, with possible pronounced streaks of darker grain.  It has a medium to coarse texture and is straight grained.  This wood machines well with sharp power tools and is excellent for turning.  Takes a high polish.

A medium to fairly large tree attaining a height of 100 feet with a diameter of 3 feet.  The heartwood is a vivid red when cut, darkening with time to a dark red brown.  A very common African wood, it is used commonly for high class furniture and cabinetry.

A small to medium sized tree rarely exceeding 1.5 feet in diameter.  It is relatively rare as the felling is controlled by the Zulu tribes.  The heartwood varies from light to dark pink and red with a fine, even texture.  Commercially, one of the rarest woods in the world.  I will advise as to availability via email.  The Legend of Pink Ivory as I've heard it...

Usually a background of pale pink to light red, with bright spots of pale pink to pale red around the spots of bird's eye within the burl.  On rare occasions, background heartwood will be pale to golden yellow, with the same red/pink spots.  Very interesting piece and full of life when finished.

The tree varies in size and can obtain heights of more than 120 feet.  Dull brown when cut, it changes to purple on exposure to air and gradually turns brown with exposure to light.  Keep these pens out of the light to preserve their colour as long as possible.  A very hard wood with a coarse grain.  Used for heavy construction, flooring and boat building.

Additional information is unavailable at this time.

This wood is a vibrant, almost shocking pinkish, red with occasional brown streaking.  A must see!  Color tends to fade to brown with exposure to sunlight.

To someone who has never seen one, a Redwood must seem to be something from a tall tale.  They average 8 feet in diameter (to as much as 20 feet), and some are as tall as 375 feet.  That is a tree taller than the Statue of Liberty, from base of the pedestal to the tip of the torch.  A tree larger around and through than a Greyhound bus.  Absolutely the largest living thing on earth.  A typical Redwood forest contains more biomass per square foot than any other area on earth, and that includes the Amazonian rain forests.  A Burl is a warty growth found on the side of one of these trees, and can be removed and in some cases even propagated into a live specimen.

A medium sized tree with a diameter up to 2 feet.  This wood is grown on a plantation, and is a dark red/purple brown.  It has a very fine texture and takes an excellent finish.  Used for quality furniture, cabinets and musical instruments.

A small tree, seldom growing more than 75 feet high and diameter of 1 to 2 feet.  A very rare tree, found in rain or marsh forests.  The heartwood is reddish brown with black stripes and has the appearance of snakeskin, sometimes spotty like a leopard's coat.  It is very hard, dense and difficult to dry.  As a result, it may crack while being turned.  Cracks will be filled with CA glue and sawdust.  Used for small decorative turnings, lace bobbins, jewellery and bows for violins.

Used since the days of Solomon and David when it was called thyine wood, thuya is one of the few woods mentioned in the Bible, having been referenced by John in the Book of Revelation.  Popular during King David's reign, it became a favorite among the cultured races.  The Greeks named it thuya, meaning sacrifice, because they used an oil distilled from it as incense in their religious ceremonies.  Some churches still use it and as sandarac oil it is valued for medicinal uses.

The burls are as beautiful as they are fragrant and the Greeks and Romans vied with each other over furniture made from them.  The powerful men of those ancient times had two great ambitions: to be a dictator and to own what was a thuya burl table to a Greek, a citron burl or thyine wood table to a Roman.  It is said that the wife of Cicero owned a thyine burl table costing the equivalent of fifty thousand dollars.

A small tree whose heartwood is pink-yellow with a pronounced striped figure of pink to red.  Turns and finishes well.  Used for decoration, marquetry and some woodwind instruments.  A very popular choice of wood for the ladies.

"Maracaibo Lignum Vitae".  Virtually identical to Lignum Vitae except for less oil and a lighter color to the wood.  It is also available in much larger sizes due to the growth of the tree.  Takes on a nice yellow-green appearance with interesting grain patterns.

A medium sized tree that grows 45 to 50 feet in height with a diameter of 3 feet.  The heartwood is dark brown with fine, almost black, veins.  This gives an attractive figure, and the wood takes a good finish.

A very large tree, often 150 feet in height and 6 feet in diameter.  The heartwood is light golden-yellow, with dark brown to black veins that create a zebra stripe appearance on quarter sawn surfaces.  It has a coarse texture and is difficult to machine.  Pens made with this material have been turned with the wood at 90 degrees to normal.  This gives a rather unique appearance.  This is available for an extra cost due to the difficulty in turning these pieces and the tendency of the wood to 'blow-out' (i.e. explode into pieces) while being turned.

A very large tree, often 150 feet in height and 6 feet in diameter.  The heartwood is light golden-yellow, with dark brown to black veins that create a zebra stripe appearance on quarter sawn surfaces.  It has a coarse texture and is difficult to machine.