--Materials--

Woods - Metals - Mounts

- Woods -

A note about photos. Wood is a great and varied thing. Pieces of wood can vary by color within the same board. And most woods darken over time. Some woods, like many rosewoods, darken considerably in a very short span of time. These pictures are of recently cut examples.

Exotic Hard Woods

Sonokeling- One of my favorite woods, great for Smallpipes or Border Pipes. It's of the same family (dalbergia) as African Blackwood, but grown on plantations. It gives a wonderful balance between the very dense and the not so dense woods.

(specific gravity .90)

Bois De Rose - A great tone wood, and another in the dalbergia family. It turns very dark, almost black in about a year. To see a comparison between African Blackwood and Bois De Rose click Here. (specific gravity .95)

African Blackwood - Because of it's beauty, density and great tone, this wood is the standard for orchestral woodwinds and highland pipes. Unfortunately, this has added to it's increasing scarcity. I charge an extra $100 for this wood, simply because I have to pay extra for the quality stuff I get. (specific gravity 1.10)

Palo Santo- This wood has acoustic properties very similar to African Blackwood's. It is sometimes erroneously called Lignum Vitae, but is not true Lignum which is now illegal to imporant into the US. If you want the brightness of tone that ABW gets, but with a warm greenish brown color, this is the wood for you. (specific gravity 1.10).

Palisander- I've decided to add two new tropical hardwoods to the wood line-up. Though there seems to be a bit of confusion about what to call this wood, I'm calling this wood of the Rosewood family (Dalbergia baroni) Palisander. Like Sonokeling, this is one of African Blackwood's less dense cousins. (specific gravity .85)

Granadillo- Sometimes called Coyote, and not to be confused with Grenadilla, African Blackwood's sometimes pseudonym, this South American hardwood is in that nice density zone that's a bit less than ABW, but more than the fruitwoods. (specific gravity .90)

The American Woods

Black Mesquite - A very interesting tree that grows in the southwest of the US and mexico. The only known tree that shrinks equally longitudinally and latitudinally. (specific gravity .80)

Osage - Called the most durable American wood, Osage is the densest of the American woods I offer. (specific gravity .85-.90)

Apple - Not just for growing fruit. A nice mellow wood for border pipes. (specific gravity .70)

Plumwood - Another great choice for border pipes, beautiful grain and wonderful tone. A traditional wood for woodwinds. (specific gravity .75)

Pearwood - A beautiful warm colored wood, also traditional for woodwinds in europe. (specific gravity .70)

Metals

I prefer to bind the pipes with stainless steel ferrules. They are very hard, very attractive, and never tarnish. They look basically the same as silver before it tarnishes. I keep brass on hand. Sterling silver and gold-plated ferrules are now available, please enquire for prices.

Mounts

I only use natural materials for mounts. Antler is a great source of white and durable mount material. Boxwood and Boxelder give a set of pipes a soft and natural look to them. And Black Water Buffalo Horn is a durable material that contrasts well with lighter woods, but also looks great with darker woods.

Water Buffalo Horn

Raphia Tae Nut, Antler, Boxwood