wood id help please

[maverick31]

I have been commisioned to build a pen to match this desk display. A newly married husband bought this for his wife 20 something years ago to sit on her desk at work and someone stole the pen it came with. They kept this stored away and found it a few weeks ago. They want me to match the wood up with a fancy pen kit of my choice. I was hoping someone could tell me what wood this is since I am not 100 percent sure. thanks in advance

[Leo Voisine]

I wonder if that's a slab of redwood.

Whoever did the finish did a lousy job.

[Stretch]

Looks like Mesquite to me. Was it bought here in Texas? Oh, and the sign should read "You're (not Your) the type..." Maybe you could fix that while you're at it. ;D

[maverick31]

good catch stretch on the your, I did not even notice that until you pointed that out. I don't think it is mesquite cause the outer part looks like a burl of some sort. and yes the finish job is terrible. I was thinking I may try to clean it up for them

[Mark]

Do they have any idea where it was purchased? I'd say redwood burl from Oregon or N California. Lot's of things like that sold in tourist stops late '70s and on.

Mark

[Doug B]

I have no idea on the wood, but that keyboard is just plain nuts! Definitely not QWERTY!

With burl wood like that it is going to be real hard to tell what the wood is. From the top I thought it might be Walnut until I saw the picture of the sides.

Pretty cool wood no matter what it is. I'd probably just go with Walnut and dare him to contradict me!

I agree the finish needs some help too.

[maverick31]

Mar 16, 2010 20:20:05 GMT -6 Mark said:

Do they have any idea where it was purchased? I'd say redwood burl from Oregon or N California. Lot's of things like that sold in tourist stops late '70s and on.

Mark

I am almost certain it was purchased here in central texas but no tellin where it originated from. The owners of this did not rember what it was made of, he said he purchased it at some gift shop that is not even in business anymore. I googled redwood burl and redwood burl slab and they look similar but I cant be certain. My first thought was some funky walnut burl but then I got to looking at the sides of it and ruled that out. I definatly leaning redwood burl.

[imahic]

My guess would be cypress slab. It looks kind of like mesquite but I have never seen mesquite shaped just like that. The side looks kind of like cypress knees do though. ;D

[TDHofstetter]

Alligator juniper.

[Joe Lyddon]

I too say redwood burl from the North West... Beautiful stuff! ;D

[sawduster]

I was thinking Cypress knees as well, except for the color, but that could have come out of a can.

[Ruffnek]

I'd guess Redwood burl although it could also be Cypress. I've seen some Cypress slabs made into clocks that were nearly that color.

Mesquite would be noticeable from the heavier-than-expected weight, if it is Mesquite.

[wisardd1]

Mark[/quote]

I am almost certain it was purchased here in central texas .[/quote]

That wood make cents of the Your (although yer would have been better) definatly! jes kidin!

[boodrow]

Have no clue what the wood is , just tell him I give my condolences for bein married to her for 20 years.
Boodrow

[maverick31]

I feel sorry for her not him. ;D No all kidding aside, thanks for everyones replies. I think I am going to see if i can find a redwood burl blank and a cypress blank and see which one comes the closest and go from there.

[mapleman]

on the wood -- i am guessing it is a burl. but i have never even touched mesquite, so i cannot comment on that at all...

on the typewriter --- my guess is that it is either a "shorthand" version and/or a stenographer's typewriter... when transcribing as people talk, they cannot type as fast as people talk with a QWERTY... dunno... i see them in court and it absolutely amazes me that they can do it and be as accurate as they are... amazing.

john

[sawduster]

Mar 19, 2010 8:47:16 GMT -6 mapleman said:

on the wood -- i am guessing it is a burl. but i have never even touched mesquite, so i cannot comment on that at all...

on the typewriter --- my guess is that it is either a "shorthand" version and/or a stenographer's typewriter... when transcribing as people talk, they cannot type as fast as people talk with a QWERTY... dunno... i see them in court and it absolutely amazes me that they can do it and be as accurate as they are... amazing.

john

Most court room recorders use a special phonetic machine rather than typing as the rest of the world knows it. They then go back and transcribe the stuff later into stuff the rest of us can read. Lots of them also talk into a masked microphone repeating the words of the witnesses, judges and lawyers. It is all pretty amazing and them folks are worth their weight in gold.

[mcbryde]

We get some cypress trees around here that look like that at the bases of them, and have seen alot of them in TX too around the Weatherford area.

Emerson