31 lb Block Veneer Grade Madrone Burl

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Burl Source

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This is some very high grade Madrone burl that we got by accident.

Two days before Christmas a guy showed up with several big blocks of this burl. He had cut it to sell it to a veneer burl buyer but found they were closed for the holidays. He was depending on the money from this to pay for Christmas presents.

Normally you never get to see madrone burl of this quality. It goes to overseas veneer mills where they cut it paper thin and sell it by the inch. My boss told me to trim up blocks for wood turners but I thought you guys might like the chance to get some of this.

This is fresh cut burl so it still needs time to dry. Green wood normally takes about a year per inch of thickness to air dry. So this is not something you will be able to use anytime soon.

I would recommend that you cut it into oversized knife handle blocks and then seal them. Cutting that way would speed things up a bit. If you will not be cutting it up right away, I can seal the whole block with anchorseal for you before it is shipped. This will help to prevent any checking from occurring.

The flash from my camera washed out the coloring in the photos. There are wild colors and great 3 dimensional figuring all over this block. In the second photo there is some spalting with some minor soft spots.

This is a super nice block that will yield a bunch of specimen grade blocks.

If this sells quickly I will add more pieces to this thread.
I have a bunch of smaller blocks as well that will yield multiple knife handle blocks. I can post them here if anyone wants some of this but can't spend quite this much. I would rather this wood end up as knife handles than bowls or wood turning stuff.

Want it? Just post "I'll take block # ...." and I will mark it sold for you.

Madrone Burl Block #1 - $150 Free US shipping SOLD to Jessica
Weighs about 31 pounds
15&3/4" long x 8&3/4" wide x 5&1/2" thick

Since this one sold, here are some more. All are the same price; $150 with free UPS ground shipping in the lower 48 US states.

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Madrone Burl Block #2 - $150
33 pounds, 10&1/2"x 9"x 7" to 10&1/2x10"x9"

Madrone Burl Block #2
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Madrone Burl Block #2
2b-24.jpg


Madrone Burl Block #2
2c-2.jpg


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Keep scrolling down in this thread for a few more.
 
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If you have never worked with green Madrone Burl,please do some research. [that's too nice a block to destroy]. Improperly dried Madrone Burl can,and will self-destruct!!
 
Madrone Burl Block #3 - $150
36 pounds, 12&1/2"x9"x6" to 12&1/2"x9"x8&1/2"

Madrone Burl Block #3
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Madrone Burl Block #3
3b-24.jpg


Madrone Burl Block #3
3c-2.jpg


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Madrone Burl Block #5 - $150 SOLD to Blind Hogg Shipped UPS 1/19
40 pounds, 14"x8&1/2"x7&1/2"

Madrone Burl Block #5
5a-19.jpg


Madrone Burl Block #5
5b-19.jpg


Madrone Burl Block #5
5c-1.jpg


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Madrone Burl Block #6 - $150
40 pounds, 8&1/2"x11"x10" to 8&1/2"x8"x15"

Madrone Burl Block #6
6a-16.jpg


Madrone Burl Block #6
6b-16.jpg


Madrone Burl Block #6
6c.jpg


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Madrone Burl Block #7 - $150
41 pounds, 11&1/2"x9"x7" to 11&1/2"x16"x10"

Madrone Burl Block #7
7a-14.jpg


Madrone Burl Block #7
7b-14.jpg


Madrone Burl Block #7
7c.jpg
 
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Los Angeles said:
Add more pieces! :)

Plus, is the wood green, and if so, what is the proper procedure for drying?
Click to expand...

I just got off of the phone with a knifemaking materials supplier who purchased some of this same burl. After talking a short while I found we were in agreement how to dry green madrone burl.

This is their procedure based on prior years experience.

He did not want the blocks they purchased from me to be waxed.

I will be shipping their blocks wrapped in plastic pallet wrap to protect against checking caused by changes in temperature or humidity.

After the blocks arrive he will cut them into slightly oversized knife handle blocks.

Next they wrap the blocks in plastic wrap and put into a dark wood shed.

He says this way they dry slowly and are ready to use in about a year or so.


I agree with cutting the block smaller to near knife block size. The wood will move when it dries to leave a little extra to trim away.

Keep the blocks out of direct sunlight and wind or it will check. Checking is usually caused by one portion of the wood drying faster than the rest. The stress causes the cracks.

By wrapping in plastic or waxing the wood it slows evaporation of the moisture allowing the wood to dry more evenly.

This takes time and a little extra care but the end result is more than worth the effort. If you can set it aside and forget about it for a year or so, you'll end up with some real cool knife handle wood unlike what everyone else has.
 
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Mark, I sure did'nt mean to create sales problems, just to avoid disapointment. I bought a couple large blocks a few years ago that were very fresh cut. The seller was up front about the green state and cautioned about drying problems. After reading a lot of woodworkers sites, many recommended boiling before waxing and drying. I cut mine into slabs, boiled for an hour and wraped in newspaper. I checked these every day untill I found the very first crack, then completely waxed and put away for a year. After about a year, I scraped the wax from the flat sides and put away for another year. These dried to 'almost' perfection. Very flat and a minimum of cracking. I waxed and airdried a slab as a test piece also. It cracked and twisted beyond use. It actually sunk and folded in on its self in one spot. I think it went in the woodstove.

Guys, don't be afraid of this stuff, just be aware that it needs a little attention. It's very pretty and unique wood. It works to a very fine waxy dust, finishes nicely and seems quite stable after finish. If you have the time to deal with it, it's worth the wait!!!
 
Boiling should only be done if you are going to follow with kiln drying. Plus the boiling would be recommended for over 24 hours. Boiling for only 1 hour like you described would break down the cellular structure of the outside while leaving the inside intact.

I don't want to turn this thread into a discussion thread about drying wood. The way mentioned above works for knife handle wood and is the same way the guitar wood suppliers who buy from me dry it.
 
I honestly thought that there would be smaller blocks for less money.

I know it wouldn't be that big of a deal to get one of these blocks sliced up locally.

My other issue is that the wood I need to buy needs to be completely ready to go within two months. Combine that with the wish that this wood be used on knives specifically, when my intention is to use it for other purposes and I feel that this won't be the best purchase for me right now.
 
Burl Source said:
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I don't want to turn this thread into a discussion thread about drying wood. The way mentioned above works for knife handle wood and is the same way the guitar wood suppliers who buy from me dry it.
Click to expand...


Please excuse my input. I was only speaking of MY experience with this wood.
 
My apologies to everyone on this thread.

I had posted this wood here on the forum for 2 reasons.
#1 The burl figure was exceptional and the bands of different colors created a look that I thought would make some really dramatic knife handles. This was not meant to limit the use to knife handles only. I just thought that would be the best usage of wood like this. (just my opinion)
#2 To give knifemakers the chance to get what I felt was some of the best quality madrone burl for pennies on the dollar compared with the cost of individual ready to use blocks of this.

My thinking was that so many knife makers purchase handle materials that they don't end up using for a number of years that it would make sense to stash some of this away for the future.

There will be some of this very same wood coming available ready to use in the future from suppliers of knife handle and guitar woods. That is who has purchased most of it so far. My recommendation is that when they make it available for purchase, to buy some. You will be impressed with how beautifully it finishes.

I have decided to pull the remaining pieces and close this thread.

If I sound frustrated, I am. But with myself. Turns out I was selling something really good at a good price (example with free shipping, I paid about $50 from the $150 to ship one of the pieces) but I was trying to sell it in the wrong place. My bad. I will list some of these in my webstore, but from here on out I will focus on more of the standard knife woods that are ready to use.
 
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