Where do you get your Exotic Blanks from ?

[johnny5]

Been shopping around on ebay and google etc for exotic pen blanks ,
Prices and quality vary a lot , I was wondering if
anyone know of an exotic timber blank supplier/sawmill in the Swansea or south Wales area.

If not who do you recommend for exotic blanks.
john

 

[Doug]

John, Neil posted a good reply for timber suppliers in Alex`s thread, not near Swansea but I'm sure they'll do mail order. here it is quote from that thread.

For wood on the way up, try Lincolnshire woodcraft, locate Stamford on the edge of Burghley Estate run by Robin Storey (AKA Robbing Bastard in the trade as hes not cheap!), just to the west Mike Cawthorne, trading as MAC timbers, fascinating woodyard with some great domestic timbers including Bog Oak. Finally at your destination in the DOncaster locality phone Martin Pigeon, a RPT turner who makes a living selling wood and he has some great stuff at really good prices. Can be a grumpy git but hes a straight forward guy in the flesh. Register of Professional Turners » Martin Pidgen. If you've got the time pop in and see Tony Isles of Ashley Isles, call first, Contact us/Find us (Lincolnshire), great tools, best in the country in my opinion but everyone has there favourites but they will be about 25% cheaper from their exhibition stock at their offices (all tools made in the UK). Dont know how far off your beaten track Chapel en le Frith is but go see Kirk at Exotic Hardwoods UK, he has some tremendour Redheart, Coobolo and camatillo and soome relatively cheap Amboyna.

And dont forget Alex, you have one of the best exotic timber merchants in the country on your doorstep, go see Bob and Hamish at Timberline, you'll come out broke I can assure you!

 

[bellringer]

If you go to the buy and sell bit on here there is a guy that I bought off who has some nice bits

 

[johnny5]

bellringer
saw that post , but he has been a bit inactive recently,
anybody recently bought from him.

 

[lignaterrae]

Hi Johnny,

Hey, I'm still here!
I pride myself on top quality pen blacks in a huge choice of species and feedback from the guys on this forum who have bought from me has been very complimentary.
I'm not in Wales but all blanks are easily sent my mail. Just email or PM me if you have any questions. Updated list with new species to come shortly...

Regards
Dave

bellringer
saw that post , but he has been a bit inactive recently,
anybody recently bought from him.

 

[Jim]

Updated list with new species to come shortly...

Look forward to seeing it Dave, i need a few more exotics ...

 

[Neil]

Exotic pen blank shop!

Axminster have the occasional lump as a loss leader,
Timberline, great stock Bob Smith,
Exotic Hardwoods -kirk
Bedford Saw and Tool (Dont know if they do maul order but a great stock of Kingwood, Aussie Burrs and Brazilian Tulipwood if theres any left after Ive been there again on Tuesday
Stilles and Bates
Peter Childs (Not brilliant)
Martin Pigeon,
Lincolnshire Woodcraft,
MAC Timbers (Domestics and Bog Oak)
Olive wood turning (for olive wood, surprise surprise!)

Theres got to be loads of others, cant think of them,

Yandles? never been there
Snainton
John Boddys
Place in Andover cant remember the name
Place to avoid S L Hardwoods in Croydon, large laughs some wood so expensive and so poor quality it is in danger of rotting on the shelves. (£400 for a 12inch log 8 wide of kingwood with severe heart rot all the way through, laugh, nearly wet myself.

 

[nimrod]

I presume I am not the only one to do this I buy inch and half by one foot spindle blanks, quarter them and saw them into six inch lengths on the bandsaw, I usually get eight 3/4 x 6 blanks for less than I would pay for 5 3/4 x 6 pen blanks.

 

[Jim]

I presume I am not the only one to do this I buy inch and half by one foot spindle blanks, quarter them and saw them into six inch lengths on the bandsaw, I usually get eight 3/4 x 6 blanks for less than I would pay for 5 3/4 x 6 pen blanks.

Got to admit i have done this in the past nimrod, the last was some of the Spanish Olive that i posted up with some pens here recently ...

 

[Doug]

I presume I am not the only one to do this I buy inch and half by one foot spindle blanks, quarter them and saw them into six inch lengths on the bandsaw, I usually get eight 3/4 x 6 blanks for less than I would pay for 5 3/4 x 6 pen blanks.

Yep, did this with an Axminster acrylic blank recently bought the 4 individual blanks I got from the larger blank down to about £1.70 each

 

[Neil]

I presume I am not the only one to do this I buy inch and half by one foot spindle blanks, quarter them and saw them into six inch lengths on the bandsaw, I usually get eight 3/4 x 6 blanks for less than I would pay for 5 3/4 x 6 pen blanks.

Its the only way to buy "blanks" I cut my own, when I make streamlines I cut exotic lumps in 12mm strips and always buy as big as poss so the wastage is as small as poss. I never cut my blanks to length unless I am making pens as I'll cut blanks for streamlines from a continuous length, no point in creating a 6 inch length from which you will discard at least two inches?