Cocobolo Sushi Hangiri or Bowl

This hand-turned bowl or Sushi Hangiri is 8" diameter and 2" high, made from a gorgeous piece of cocobolo that includes a little of the much sought-after sapwood that adds unique contrast and variety. I really like working with cocobolo - the texture is so smooth, it cuts so evenly, and it polishes to a shiny surface even without finish. As with all my bowls, this is sealed with mineral oil and beeswax so it's food-safe and ready for use.

Cocobolo is a medium sized Central American tree growing up to 2' diameter and 90' tall. The heartwood is typically orange or reddish-brown in color, often with a figuring of darker irregular traces weaving through the wood, while the sapwood is a creamy yellow, contrasting sharply with the heartwood. Its fine texture and excellent color make Cocobolo one of the most popular exotic woods. Grows along Pacific seaboard of Mexico and Central America. Considered one of the most important woods in cutlery business for knife handles (can be soaked in soapy water with minimal ill effects). Also used for tool handles, brush backs, bowling balls, chess pieces, carving, jewelry boxes, canes, utensils, buttons, musical and scientific instruments, especially guitars and basses, but some woodwind instruments such as clarinets and oboes have been successfully made using cocobolo instead of the more usual African blackwood. It is also used in making luxury pens, and decorative veneer and inlay.

Because it is so sought after, cocobolo is a little pricey. Price for a 8"x2" Cocobolo Bowl or Hangiri like this one: $62.00 - and be sure to specify whether you want sapwood if it's available, or if you prefer the dark colors only.

Wood Platter - African Mahogany

These platters were made by my Father, but my mom's out of room around the house for his work, so he's hoping I can move them for him, see, it's hard to justify our time in the shop if we don't have a place for the stuff we make...





Anyway, this first platter is 12.5" diameter and 2" high, and is available for $55.00.Click here to buy this item






This second platter is 12.5" diamter and 1.5" thick, and is available for $50.00. Click here to buy this item




African Mahogany is different from your usual mahogany used in furnitures and fine woodworking in the US. It's from a tree in the mahogany family called Khaya, and is an exotic and imported hardwood that is figured "broken grained". It is characterized by vertical bonds of varying luster and vessel markings in which the ribbon effect is intermittent. The heartwood varies from light to deep reddish-brown. Like American Mahogany, this timber is very durable and stable. Khaya species tend to be lighter in color, generally more of a salmon/pink in tint, but the color and density are affected by the specific conditions in the area of growth, so there are no absolutes It had a hayday in drum making, but was too expensive for that to continue.

Purpleheart Wood Bowl - 7.5"x2"

Turned from a solid piece of kiln-dried purpleheart, this open-formed bowl measures 7.5" diameter and 2" high. It's a more practical form than the first bowl I turned form purpleheart, with a full open form.

Purpleheart, also sometimes called amaranth or violet wood, comes from several species of tropical trees native to Central and South America. The heartwood is a light purple when cut, and darkens upon exposure to sunlight, reaching first a darker purple and eventually a brown with a purple cast. It is hard and strong, and takes attention when turning, requiring sharp tools, gentle cuts, and a LOT of sanding.

Price for this bowl or one like it: $37.00.

Click here to buy this item

Oregon Myrtlewood Bowl, Enclosed

My son Matt made this (with my help) for Mom for Christmas. What at first looked like a somewhat bland piece of mystery wood my Dad gave me, turned out instead to be a very nice, pretty piece of Oregon Myrtlewood. Oregon Myrtlewood, also called California Laurelwood, is a hardwood with a wide variety of colors depending on the minerals in the soil where it is grown - from light tan to dark brown, olives and reds, and blacks from spalting. It is noted as one of the world's most beautiful woods. This bowl, and all my bowls, are finished with mineral oil and beeswax - the mineral oil brings out the natural colors, and the beeswax protects the wood and adds a satin sheen. It is food safe, washable, and ready to use.

The bowl is 5.5" diameter and 4" high. Price for a similar bowl: $55.00