I got a wood gift too!

[John Hart]

The wood is known as Caragana. Here's an official description
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=8 width="100%" bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left width="40%"><TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=mainbluetitle vAlign=top align=left colSpan=2>Caragana arborescens Lam. </TD></TR><TR><TD class=mainbluetitle vAlign=top align=left colSpan=2>Siberian peashrub </TD></TR><TR><TD class=list vAlign=top align=left>Symbol:</TD><TD class=label vAlign=top align=left>CAAR18</TD></TR><TR><TD class=list vAlign=top align=left>Group:</TD><TD class=label vAlign=top align=left>Dicot</TD></TR><TR><TD class=list vAlign=top align=left>Family:</TD><TD class=label vAlign=top align=left>Fabaceae</TD></TR><TR><TD class=list vAlign=top align=left>Growth Habit: (http://plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/plant_profile.cgi?earl=plant_profile.cgi&symbol=CAAR18#)</TD><TD class=label vAlign=top align=left>Tree
Shrub </TD></TR><TR><TD class=list vAlign=top align=left>Duration:</TD><TD class=label vAlign=top align=left>Perennial </TD></TR><TR><TD class=list vAlign=top align=left>U.S. Nativity:</TD><TD class=label vAlign=top align=left>Introduced</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD><TD class=smtable vAlign=top align=left width="60%" rowSpan=2>Click on the image below to download a high-resolution JPEG file.
http://plants.usda.gov/gallery/standard/caar18_001_shp.jpg (http://plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/large_image_rpt.cgi?imageID=caar18_001_ahp.tif)Her man, D.E. et al. 1996. <CITE>North Dakota tree handbook</CITE>. USDA NRCS ND State Soil Conservation Committee; NDSU Extension and Western Area Power Admin., Bismarck, ND.

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Bruce Volden offered to send me a sample just to see what would happen. This stuff is beautiful....and a pleasure to turn. It turns like butter, it is very tightly grained and it polishes beautifully. It's very thirsty though. Really soaked up the oil. This one is finished in clear Walnut Oil, CA and shellac.

Thanks again Bruce....I'll take a truckload!!:D

[Jim Becker]

Kinda looks like some willow I had awhile back. Beautiful stuff there, John!! Perfect for interesting pens and the like, too.

[Carole Valentine]

Beautiful job, John! You did that wood justice.

[Ernie Nyvall]

Hey John, I like the way you worked that out with the clip over the light wood. Very nice pen.

Ernie

[John Hart]

Thanks all. I was just looking at this pen this morning with my coffee. Here's something unique about it....It is a very dark wood...almost darker than walnut, but it has a yellow undertone that peeks out between the dark grain, giving depth to the overall look of the wood. It also shimmers in the light like figured mahogany. Very pretty. The other pieces have more yellow so I'm anxious to see how those turn out tonight.

[Glenn Hodges]

Nice wood John, even nicer finished on the pen. Now if it was just large enough for a 12 inch bowl....

[Chris Barton]

Great looking pen John! Now, could you give me, err, us a tutorial on how to take pictures and post them on the SMC website? I seem to be more challenged than most when it comes to this...


Chris

[Jim Ketron]

The wood looks like a darker version of Olivewood to me.
Nice stuff! Great looking Pen John!

[John Hart]

Thanks again all. Jim- I've been meaning to try olivewood but never seem to get around to it. Maybe that's the prodding that I need.

Chris - Pictures? Tutorial? Hah! That lesson would take 2 seconds. Close your eyes and shoot!!! I'm still in a steep learning curve m'self and trying to get the right setup and get my color balance right. I just get lucky from time to time.

Glenn - You just gave me an idea. Bruce said that none of this stuff gets very big but it is plentiful. I bet a segmented 12" bowl is definitely in the realm of possibilities. If I only knew how to make segmented bowls!!:confused:

[Michael Stafford]

Can't help you with the wood ID, John, but the pen is a definite winner. It does sort of look like olive wood in the rough. The finished product is much darker and very attractive.... :D Good job.