# Burl Recommendations?



## Yellow River Woodturning (Jul 10, 2021)

My brother would like to make a Dragon pen out of an exotic burl, but we haven't been able to narrow down the list enough to choose. He wants a fairly wild-grained, reddish burl, but if it isn't red that would be fine. He's considering using Honduran Rosewood burl or Chechen burl, but Honduran Rosewood burl is a little pricey. Any recommendations? Feel free to send links to any websites where the burls can be purchased and any pens you've made from them. Burls under $20 would be best, but if it's over that price threshold post it anyways (after all, most burls with that price are quite a sight to see!) Thanks in advance!


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## magpens (Jul 10, 2021)

Have you considered " Amboyna Burl " ?


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## CjG78 (Jul 10, 2021)

I agree with Mal, Amboyna (although might be a touch over 20 bucks for the good stuff)
African bloodwood burl or Paela burl is red as red gets and magnificent.


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## wood4fun (Jul 10, 2021)

Amboyna burl is the king of burls, if you want a more redish rosewood burl go with burmese rosewood burl


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## Yellow River Woodturning (Jul 10, 2021)

Thanks for all the answers! Amboyna burl looks like a great candidate for this pen. Are there any domestic burls (U.S) that you'd recommend (they don't have to be red)? Also, is there anywhere online to get fruitwood burls (apple, chokecherry, olive, plum, etc)?


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## PatrickR (Jul 10, 2021)

for North American look at redwood burl, oak, ash and locust. I don’t remember ever seeing burl from fruit trees. If found it would likely be root stock not true burl.


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## egnald (Jul 10, 2021)

Greetings from *N*ebraska. I bought some beautiful old growth redwood burls from rockb. Perhaps you should check with him. Link to his website: http://www.rockbswesternwoods.com/redwood.html - Dave


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## wood128 (Jul 10, 2021)

I have some really nice Cherry Burl ( red color ) and Maple Burl pen blanks available for domestic burls. Send me a PM if interested. I do agree that Amboyna Burl ( red ) is the KING of burls but is very expensive.


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## Fred Bruche (Jul 10, 2021)

As a domestic, my favorite burl is Arizona desert ironwood (my usual source https://arizonaironwood.com/ I typically buy larger blocks and re-cut them into pen blanks). But there are also great-looking pieces of yellow cedar burl or maple burl, a bit bland naturally but fantastic when dyed. Lot's of options if you go that route.


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## Bats (Jul 10, 2021)

Another option (since you mentioned red domestic) might be the redwood burl that Exotic Blanks got in recently. I haven't picked up any yet (when I pay more than $5 a blank, I always end up afraid to actually use the damn thing), but I've been seeing some gorgeous pictures coming through the forums.





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						Search
					






					www.exoticblanks.com


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## wood4fun (Jul 10, 2021)

your domestic burls are
Aligator juniper burl
Black ash burl
box elder burl
buckeye burl
cherry burl
chittum burl
cottonwood burl
cypress burl
Desert ironwood burl
Douglas fir burl
Hickory burl
limba black burl
locust honey burl
locust black burl
manzanita burl
maple burl
mesquite burl
mulberry burl
Plum burl
oak burl
Russian olive burl
redwood burl
walnut burl
that's all i can think off now, the manzanita and red wood are the most red i got some great ones from Rocky B
the rarest are hickory and douglas fir, the most expensive chittum and hickory


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## sorcerertd (Jul 10, 2021)

Bats said:


> Another option (since you mentioned red domestic) might be the redwood burl that Exotic Blanks got in recently. I haven't picked up any yet (when I pay more than $5 a blank, I always end up afraid to actually use the damn thing), but I've been seeing some gorgeous pictures coming through the forums.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 I second this.  They look really nice.


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## Dalecamino (Jul 10, 2021)

Thuya Burl at bellforestproducts.com 1x1x12 $18.00


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## Roly (Jul 10, 2021)

Maybe have a look at red Mallee burl.  Georges bits of timber in South Australia if the postage doesn't kill you he pretty good.


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## Joebobber (Jul 11, 2021)

Go with Paella burl.  It's orange heart burl.  But the burls have swirls and colors of red and orange.  It is beautiful stuff (all that I've had anyway)


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## Yellow River Woodturning (Jul 11, 2021)

Thanks for all the suggestions! I have some hickory burl, boxelder burl, aspen burl, red oak burl (not as figured as white oak), and black ash burl. I'll soon be getting a three-foot chunk of maple burl, and I'm currently drying some plum, lilac, and apple burl.  Once my brother makes his pen I'll make sure to post it. I'll soon be purchasing some Honduran rosewood burl just to have on hand. One final question: has anyone ever seen staghorn sumac burl? I'd assume that the only part that could be considered a "burl" would be an unusually large root ball, but it'd still be pretty cool stuff.


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## wood4fun (Jul 11, 2021)

i have'nt seen any staghorm sumac burl, but i do have some really tight curly staghorn sumac, also any chances of you showing me you hickory burl?


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## Yellow River Woodturning (Jul 11, 2021)

wood4fun said:


> i have'nt seen any staghorm sumac burl, but i do have some really tight curly staghorn sumac, also any chances of you showing me you hickory burl?


I’ll post a photo of it sometime tomorrow morning (U.S Central time). I’m not 100% sure it’s hickory, but it looks exactly like it. I’ll also post some photos of some other boards of it that I have.


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## Yellow River Woodturning (Jul 12, 2021)

Here is my piece of hickory burl, along with some other hickory boards. I'm not 100% sure they're hickory, but they look just like it.


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## Joebobber (Jul 13, 2021)

I'd love to see some of that apple burl!  I made my wife a peppermill with some and man was it beautiful!   It had eyes and swirls and the colors!  It was a small piece off my old crab apple tree out back that a storm took out.  Wish I had more!


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## Rodney W (Jul 13, 2021)

Madrona burl.  Ranges from pinkish to red in color.  Beautiful stuff and grows here on the west coast.


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## Cory Michaels (Jul 16, 2021)

This came out of the paper birch that used to stand in my front yard. When I cut the piece I thought I was just getting a nicely spalted piece of wood....I got a pleasant surprise  Now it lives on my mother's mantle.


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## steamshovel (Jul 30, 2021)

egnald said:


> Greetings from *N*ebraska. I bought some beautiful old growth redwood burls from rockb. Perhaps you should check with him. Link to his website: http://www.rockbswesternwoods.com/redwood.html - Dave


I agree rocky would be a good place to look.


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