# Favorite wood



## lucky13 (Apr 26, 2013)

Ok, so there was a thread for "favorite pen kit" now how about your favorite wood.

My favorite wood is spalted burls, especially the highly figured with big eyes and dark spalted lines. Right now the number one is a Spalted Silverback Buckeye Burl.


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## Dan Masshardt (Apr 26, 2013)

I'm still pretty new and haven't really broken into burls yet (very soon) one of which I'm sure will be my new favorite.  


I have enjoyed turning some figured olive wood, but my favorite 'regular wood' is black walnut crotch which I have a lot of from some rough sawn boards I acquired.


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## JustmeinMS (Apr 26, 2013)

I am actually torn between two. They are nicely figured Bethlehem Olive and a really nice Eastern Red Cedar that I got from Longfellow. The Olive with its dark lines and even a bit of burl, or curl is beautiful. But, I turned  Eastern Red Cedar cross cut that looked like a red, copper, gold acrylic instead of wood.


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## BSea (Apr 26, 2013)

My favorites (in no particular order).

Desert Ironwood Burl -Ok, the picture isn't a pen, but the wood just has so much movement when you see it in person.





Crosscut Olive-I wish I could get more of this stuff.  It's just beautiful.





Cross Cut Spalted Pecan-Frankly, I'm surprised we don't see more pens from this wood.  I just love it.  But you'd better have lots of CA, or some cactus juice.:biggrin:


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## Tim'sTurnings (Apr 26, 2013)

I guess my favorite up to now is some figured olivewood. I got a very nice larger blank that I cut up into pen blanks from Rockler. I received a lot of compliments on them and sold the pens I had very easily.
My second favorite is not a wood but white tail deer antler. They always sell very good too. Here is a pic of the antler, I don't have a picture of the figured olivewood handy.
Tim.


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## crabcreekind (Apr 26, 2013)

Hands down... Cocobolo or lignum vitae. LV isnt the greatest to look at but if is the FUNNEST wood to turn.


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## tim self (Apr 27, 2013)

1. DIW Burl
2. Cocobolo Burl
3. Honduran Rosewood Burl
4. Spalted maple


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## OOPS (Apr 27, 2013)

I like both Cocobolo and Olivewood too, but to add variety I will throw out the following, in no particular order.

Redheart
Osage Orange
Hawaiian Signature Tree
Yellowheart


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## GoodTurns (Apr 27, 2013)

Chittum burl...no contest


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## ossaguy (Apr 27, 2013)

Curly Koa! 

Especially the reddish color Koa.




Steve


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## PenPal (Apr 27, 2013)

Brandon, A few of mine chosen in no order include Olives,Acacias,Beefwood,Bud vases (gifted to me) several timbers, Conkerberry,Coolibah,Hairy Oak,Conkerberry,Huon Pine Burl.

Kind regards Peter.


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## MarkD (Apr 27, 2013)

I would have to say Honduran Rosewood Burl


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## panamag8or (Apr 27, 2013)

Right now?... cypress.:biggrin:


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## Jim Smith (Apr 27, 2013)

I would say

1. DIW burl 
2. Honduran Rosewood Burl

Jim Smith


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## mikespenturningz (Apr 27, 2013)

1. Thuya Burl (big surprise there)
2. Amboyna Burl
3. Maple Burl
4. Spalted anything.


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## cwolfs69 (Apr 27, 2013)

1. Bees Wing Narra
2. Afzelia Burl
3. Koa


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## keithlong (Apr 27, 2013)

I like all kinds of wood except red oak, unless it is old growth red oak.


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## aronson (Apr 27, 2013)

Cocobolo Burl (preferably with some sapwood)
Snakewood
Spalted Anything :biggrin:
Curly Koa


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## OLDMAN5050 (Apr 27, 2013)

Osage orange, cocobolo


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## avbill (Apr 27, 2013)

Figured olive wood is in the lead  by 3  next comes DIW, Colobolo, Curly Koa, & Hon. Rosewood Burl all tied for second place 

mine is not any type of wood. But  either a unique figured burl,  or heavily figured wood.


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## asyler (Apr 27, 2013)

old growth yellow pine in addition to crosscut red cedar.


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## monark88 (Apr 27, 2013)

Amboyna burl & thuya burl
Russ


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## Hubert H (Apr 27, 2013)

Olivewood and Cocobolo


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## marksman (Apr 27, 2013)

Rosewood burl mostly heart wood with some sap wood mixed in. See attachment.

Also bought some Turkish walnut from turkishwalnut.net and really liked it.


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## mrmartyking (Apr 28, 2013)

For me it would be any wood that has an interesting story. But currently I am enjoying:
Bubinga
Lacewood
Maple Burl
Staghorn Sumac


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## Longfellow (Apr 28, 2013)

*Citrus Orange*

Spalted Citrus wood--Orange, Grapefruit--Tangerine--Shown is spalted orange.


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## seamus7227 (Apr 28, 2013)

Honduran Rosewood Burl!~
Cocobolo Burl


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## Brooks803 (Apr 28, 2013)

My absolute fav is Black Ash Burl:





Followed closely by Amboyna Burl (heart and sapwood):


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## NittanyLion (Apr 28, 2013)

Mine has to be any burl I cut and dry with my own two hands.


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## panamag8or (Apr 28, 2013)

Longfellow said:


> Spalted Citrus wood--Orange, Grapefruit--Tangerine--Shown is spalted orange.



Nice. Where are you getting that? I'd like to do some Orange.


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## Longfellow (Apr 29, 2013)

panamag8or said:


> Longfellow said:
> 
> 
> > Spalted Citrus wood--Orange, Grapefruit--Tangerine--Shown is spalted orange.
> ...



I live in the heart of citrus growing country. The wood is everywhere. I ride around in my pickup truck and pick it up whenever I find it laying on the side of the road. Some grove owners allow me to cut their dead or dying trees.


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## AHill (Apr 30, 2013)

I'm really partial to pau ferro and desert ironwood.  A lacquered pau ferro is really rich.  Desert ironwood (the good quality stuff) has a great feel to it, and the grain patterns are very interesting.  And both are easy to turn.  I really like box elder burl also, but it's a pain to turn unless the blank is stabilized.


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## bradh (Apr 30, 2013)

This question comes up every couple years. My fav is Amboyna burl.

Here are a few of the past threads on the topic:
http://www.penturners.org/forum/f18/favorite-wood-69864/
http://www.penturners.org/forum/f17/favorite-wood-penturning-37999/
http://www.penturners.org/forum/f17/favorite-wood-turning-pens-20167/
http://www.penturners.org/forum/f17/your-favorite-wood-9263/


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## healeydays (Apr 30, 2013)

Amboyna burl, Thuya burl and Manzanita burl but after seeing a pen posted today by propencity:  I might have to play with Spalted Hackberry root real soon


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## pensbydesign (Apr 30, 2013)

Amboyna Burl, buckeye burl, or black ash burl


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## 1080Wayne (Apr 30, 2013)

Caragana


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## jcm71 (Apr 30, 2013)

GoodTurns said:


> Chittum burl...no contest



OK. I'm going to have to try some.  BTW my favorites are:  ease of turning-BOW.   Greatest satisfaction- Cross cut Cocobolo.. Gives me fits.


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## BW Design Works (Apr 30, 2013)

Mine would be Amboyna Burl, Snakewood, and HRB.


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## toyotaman (May 1, 2013)

Well, I can say I like the spalted wood in general. Spalted Oak burl is pretty awesome. I brought this Spalted Hackberry home today and hope to cut into it this weekend. Should make for some great pen blanks.


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## Hendu3270 (May 2, 2013)

For me it's Claro Walnut Burl.:wink:


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## kyaggie (May 2, 2013)

Buckeye Burl


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## ALexG (May 2, 2013)

Olive wood, I love the paterns and love to turn it and feel the fresh smell of olive


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## CabinetMaker (May 2, 2013)

Olive wood.  Mostly because I absolutely love the smell while I'm turning it.  Makes a good looking pen too!


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## Sub Vet 10 (May 3, 2013)

FIL loves cocobolo, especially because it doesn't bother him like most ppl and anything burled. 
I like lacewood, buckeye burl and Battleship teak


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