Advice needed

[razornut]

Good morning gentlemen and ladies I've been commissioned to make a shaveing brush for a barber. He has used my personal brush and was very impressed with it. However the type of wood he Is interested in is pink ivory. I've never. Worked with it let alone turned it, so my question is. Would it be suitable for turning and it's intended use?. I plan on coating it in a gloss polyurethane finish unless you learned people have any other suggestions. I was edging toward Madagascar ebony myself. As I've heard it is slightly oily, and I think it would be a better wood to use considering it will see 50 times more use than the average brush.

live life to the fullest. You only get one. at least in most cultures. :-S
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[Richard Findley]

Pink Ivory is lovely dense wood and would certainly do the job for you.... If you can get it and if your customer will pay for it! It is now a protected timber because it is so rare and hence, when it is available, it's one of the dearest timbers out there!

Something else to be aware of is colour change. It starts out quite a bright redy pink but, as wood is prone to do, it ends up redy brown!

HTH

Richard

 

[J-G]

Pink Ivory is lovely dense wood and would certainly do the job for you.... If you can get it and if your customer will pay for it! It is now a protected timber because it is so rare and hence, when it is available, it's one of the dearest timbers out there!

Something else to be aware of is colour change. It starts out quite a bright redy pink but, as wood is prone to do, it ends up redy brown!

Richard

I recently bought a 6" length of 2" Sq. Pink Ivory from Styles & Bates - so it is available. That piece cost me just under £10 so although high, not as expensive as Ebony or African Blackwood and much cheaper than Snakewood (about a fifth of the price!).

I haven't used it yet - awaiting inspiration - but I was under the impression that the cut surface was initially redy brown and turned pink after exposure to sunlight. The piece I have is pink on three sides and brown on the other which I assumed hadn't been exposed...

... I've just had a look at it and cannot tell which side was originally 'brown' but I did make a point of standing it on end in the middle of a shelf so both air and light reached all sides.

 

[razornut]

Ok I'm confused :-S which is it.. Brown to pink. Or pink to brown??

live life to the fullest. You only get one. at least in most cultures. :-S

 

[Richard Findley]

Welcome to the wonderful world of wood! No 2 pieces are the same!

As for the supply and cost, the information I supplied came from a couple of my suppliers. Sounds like Stiles and Bates is a good tip!

Richard

 

[winemaker]

Pink Ivory Wood - 8" x 2" x 1/2" £6 on the dreaded E-Bay

 

[razornut]

Thanks for that. But I have a supplier. (Exotic hardwoods uk) based in chapel en la Frith. I've been going to him for about a year. Not the cheapest but I like to meet the people I buy from. And shake a man's hand when a deal is done. I'm old fashioned like that.

live life to the fullest. You only get one. at least in most cultures. :-S