About Our Wood
Wood Varieties - We stock a large variety of wood for pen blanks and bodies with a more limited selection for knife scales and other applications.
We have the ability to make any pen out of nearly any wood. If you know of a wood type, color or character that is special to you feel free to order a customized wood pen.
You can also order a blank to make your own pen (if buying a pen the price of the wood is included). This list is not complete, we do not list some of our more hard to find or low availability pieces and we also have access to a larger variety through our suppliers.
Here are the woods we have in stock:
| Wood Type | Qty | Blank Cost* | Options** |
| African Blackwood | 6 | $ 3.00 | None |
| Apple | 99 | $ 3.00 | Clear, Multi-tone, Knife Scales |
| Apricot | 7 | $ 3.00 | None |
| Ash | 35 | $ 1.50 | Clear, Spalted |
| Bamboo | 20 | $ 1.75 | Natural, Carmel, X Cut, Segmented |
| Bloodwood | 10 | $ 2.00 | None |
| Boxelder | 19 | $ 1.00 | Clear, Gray Spalted, Flame, Knife Scale |
| Brazil Nut | 10 | $ 5.00 | X Cut, Knife Scales |
| Buckeye Burl | 5 | $ 7.00 | Stabilized, Non-Stabilized |
| Canarywood | 20 | $ 1.50 | Knife Scales |
| Cherry | 20 | $ 1.25 | Clear, Burl, Knife Scales |
| Chestnut-American | 20 | $ 2.00 | Clear, Spalted, Wormy, Knife Scales |
| Chittum Burl | 10 | $15.00 | Select Short Blanks up to 4.5" |
| Cocobolo | 20 | $ 1.50 | None |
| Cork | 10 | $ 3.50 | Solid blanks of ground cork |
| Dogwood | 10 | $ 6.50 | Stabilized, Non Stabilized, Spalted |
| Ebony | 10 | $ 4.00 | Knife Scales |
| Granadillo | 10 | $ 1.00 | None |
| Hackberry | 12 | $ 3.50 | Clear, Spalted, Knife Scales |
| Hickory | 10 | $ 1.50 | Figured, Knife Scales |
| Holly | 15 | $ 3.00 | None |
| Honey Locust | 15 | $ 2.00 | None |
| Horn Beam | 25 | $ 5.00 | None |
| Jatoba | 50 | $ 1.00 | aka Brazilian Cherry |
| Koa | 10 | $ 5.00 | Clear, Curly |
| Leopardwood | 10 | $ 1.50 | None |
| Mahogany | 15 | $ 1.00 | Standard, Honduran, Santos |
| Maple - Hard | 50 | $ 1.00 | Clear, Curly, Birdseye, Spalted |
| Maple - Soft | 50 | $ 1.00 | Clear, Quilted, Golden, Spalted |
| Maple - Red | 10 | $ 1.25 | X cut, aka Buttress Maple |
| Mora | 10 | $ 1.50 | None |
| Mulberry | 40 | $ 1.00 | Clear, Spalted |
| Oak - Bog | 10 | $ 5.00 | From dredging in Kentucky |
| Oak | 50 | $ 1.00 | Red, White, Whiskey Barrel |
| Olive Wood | 10 | $ 4.00 | Wild, Bethlehem shorts, Knife Scales |
| Osage Orange | 99 | $ 1.50 | aka Beau d'arc, Hedge Apple |
| Padauk | 10 | $ 1.00 | None |
| Poplar | 10 | $ 1.00 | Clear, Burl, Knife Scales, Dyes Nicely |
| Primavera | 5 | $ 6.00 | Spalted, Stabilized |
| Purple Heart | 99 | $ 1.00 | None |
| Rosewood | 20 | $ 1.50 | Standard, Patagonian, Yucatan, Brazilian |
| Sassafras | 50 | $ 1.00 | None |
| Sycamore | 99 | $ 1.00 | Dyes Nicely |
| Teak | 20 | $ 1.00 | None |
| Walnut | 20 | $ 2.00 | Black, Claro, Select, Knife Scales |
| Whiskey Barrel | 99 | $ 1.00 | Charred White Oak from Whiskey Barrels |
| Yellow Heart | 40 | $ 1.00 | None |
| Zebrawood | 20 | $ 2.00 | None |
*Listed price is for a standard sized Pen Blank (5"x3/4"x3/4") unless otherwise noted.
**Options are listed to show variety available and may or may not increase blank cost.
Wood Alteration/Modification
Dyed - Many types, but not all, wooden blanks can be dyed to create completely new effects for pen bodies, knife scales, "wands", etc. Dyed woods can be nearly solid in color showing only hints of the grain or dyed in a distressed fashion to make it look older with a mix of natural and colored wood. We use both vacuum and pressure to dye woods and the process is often combined with stabilization to lock in the color. If you have an idea reach out to us and we can work with you towards a solution.
Stabilization - Wood can be stabilized, a method of impregnating the wood with resin, to help solidify it. Even "worthless wood" that is soft, rotting and punky can often be hardened to make it usable for turning or other crafts. Stabilization does not typically benefit harder, more dense woods but can be used in many woods to help lock in the natural wood color or the color of dyes and tints. It does change the turning characteristics of most woods making them quite easy to work with on the lathe.
Our Dying and Stabilizing Services - Drake Family Artisans can dye and/or stabilize batches of wood as small as 4 pen blanks starting around $1.55/blank with capabilities of batches up to 100 blanks or more. We can also process wood pieces or chucks up to the 100 - 200 cubic inch size, depending on shape. All of this type of service will require a quoted price based on your actual needs.