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Preparing for Winter
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It's that time of year again and we have lit the fires. Bears are thinking sleep and the little birds are headed for warmer climates. Our beautiful wood inventory is growing. A truck load of 9/4 walnut slabs came in yesterday, and 1000 bf of premium aromatic cedar, 8" and wider, will arrive today. Expected soon is a shipment of reclaimed teak beams. We have a 2000 sf honey mesquite flooring job that is currently in process with a circle sawn finish. Thanks to Mother Nature, the woods are full of woods, and most are just beautiful inside. ~Kent Mace |
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Looking for that perfect gift for a woodworker you know? Collector's Specialty Woods offers gift certificates! They are available in any denomination, and come with a beautiful gift card. They can be mailed directly to either the recipient with a personal message included, or sent directly to the giver. Follow the link for more information, or call us directly at the office. |
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| Bristlecone Pine |
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One of the Earth's oldest living inhabitants, Methuselah, is a bristlecone pine. Having lived more than a millennium longer than any other tree, it is the oldest known individual tree in the world. Some bristlecone pines are thought to have reached an age far greater than that of any other single living organism known, up to nearly 5,000 years. Dendrochronology, or tree-ring dating, has been used to measure core samples of Methuselah and have put her age at around 4,789 years. Methuselah’s precise location is undisclosed by the U.S. Forest Service in the hope of protecting the tree from vandalism. Recently, it has been rumored that a specimen older than Methuselah was discovered, but this has not been widely publicized.
Bristlecone pines grow in isolated groves at and just below tree line. The dry soil, cold temperatures, and high winds at this altitude force the trees to grow slowly, making the wood very resinous and dense. This provides a natural defense against pests and fungi. Our Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine is a long-lived tree, though they do not attain the longevity of Great Basin Bristlecone Pines such as Methuselah. The oldest known Colorado tree, which grows high on Mount Evans, was found to have a 2,435-year tree ring record. |
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ODD LOTS and CLOSEOUTS
4/4 Walnut - #6464
332 BF - $1.89 per bf - KD 8% - Rustic
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Custom Flooring |
There is a timeless quality about hardwood flooring. It brings the natural outdoors inside, and can feel at home with any décor, from sleek and exotic teak to rustic wide plank cherry or hickory. Solid hardwood flooring does not contain man-made chemicals, can come from sustainable species, and is available in FSC stock, making it not only a great choice for look and value, but environmentally sound as well. We specialize in custom orders such as wide plank flooring up to 18” and can often offer a longer length average and lower waste factor. We can provide guidance on domestic and imported species in a variety of grades from premium select and FSC material to local Douglas Fir. Our team will offer a personal experience, providing as much guidance as you require, and ensuring that you receive not only exceptional, educated service, but also making sure you get the finished floor you are looking for. |
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CSWoods supplied wenge and anegre flooring |
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This “modern-organic” styled home uses CSWoods wenge and anegre for the floors, ceilings and some of the walls. The wood enhances the cool, contemporary look while also making the house warm and welcoming. The home's owner says,“I’ve always been fascinated with wenge for its clean lines and with anegre because it is golden but not too yellow.” Recycled wood from dismantled Amish barns was used for the walls and ceiling of the kitchen and the ceiling of the dining room. |
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Myrtle Slabs |
Oregon Myrtle, also called California Bay Laurel or Umbellularia, is native to coastal forests of western North America. A very hard species of wood with a fine grain, smaller pieces are often made into bowls, spoons, and other small items. Large slabs like those below make beautiful mantles and furniture tops. The grain color is usually glossy golden and brown and many pieces have consistent rippling figure. |
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8/4 Myrtle #6095 - 26.5 bf - $19.65 per bf |
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8/4 Myrtle #6090 - 28 bf - $19.65 per bf |
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11/4 Myrtle #6097 - 22 bf - $19.66 per bf |
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10/4 Myrtle #6092 - 36.5 bf - $19.63 per bf |
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8/4 Myrtle #6103 - 31 bf - $19.65 per bf |
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6/4 Myrtle #6099 - 18 bf - $19.66 per bf |
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The father of tropical forestry and conservation. |
The idea that trees and their respective forests and plantations should be managed, and even preserved, came late in the 1800's. During the British occupation of India, felling of teak forests for lumber products grew to dangerous levels. In 1850 they realized that the unmitigated harvesting was leading to forest devastation, and a committee was formed to study the destruction. Five years later, a man named Dietrich Brandis became the superintendent of eastern Burma’s teak forests. Brandis had been a botanist, but his herbarium and botanical library had been completely lost when the ship carrying it from Calcutta to Rangoon capsized. The loss led him to forestry. After Brandis took stock of the teak situation, he sent up a system by which tribal villagers who were already providing labor for clearing, planting and weeding teak plantations would in return be allowed to plant crops for the first few years between the trees. As the teak trees grew, villagers were moved to new land and the process was repeated, making the plantations more productive and the trees cared for. He was among the earliest in India to formally link forest protection with indigenous peoples.
Brandis worked to determine the rate of teak growth, identify its rate of harvest, and develop forest protection plans against pests and fire. He introduced timber purchase rules, clearing rules and the established managed teak areas called conservancies. After seven years in Burma, Brandis was given the title Inspector General of Forests in India. He kept this position for 20 years during which time, he formulated new forest legislations and helped establish research and training institutions.
Brandis's influence reached far and wide, as he became a mentor to people all over the world who were realizing that the planets forests were facing annihilation. He strongly shaped the forestry movement in the United States by mentoring Gifford Pinchot and Henry Graves, the first and second chiefs of the USDA Forest Service. Through Brandis's legacy, species of lumber are available today that would not be, and although forests are still facing troubling times, there are people like Brandis working to ensure that we protect and conserve the natural resource of our trees. |
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