I tend to watch a lot of build videos for entertainment as well as for creative ideas, new techniques, etc. A recent viewing of a Chris Salamone/FourEyes project had a material that caught my eye where a product called hempwood was used for drawer fronts. So I ordered a sample to see just what this material was all about, how it looked and how it felt. Honestly, it's pretty kewel stuff and I can see interesting applications.

The material is quite dense...it reminds me strongly of Advantech and similar products in that respect...but that shouldn't be surprising as it's made by compressing layers of material taken from the hemp plants along with an adhesive to produce boards and panels. Where it differs is that the folks who make it pay attention to "grain orientation" for visual appeal and the result is both a "flat sawn" and "rift sawn" option based on while you prefer for a given need. I actually like the "rift sawn" orientation of the layers for show and that was what was used in the video that made me look twice. At any rate, it's always nice to learn about new materials including those that potentially cross the sustainability threshold. This particular product isn't likely for "every use", but I can definitely see applications. It can be cut, resawn, profiled, etc., in the same manner that any other wood or composite product can be worked, and it clearly isn't wimpy stuff. I may very well try it out for some project down the line just for grins.

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Oh, and the samples smell like fresh cut hay. No surprise there, either.