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walnut
Walnut grows in the central United States and is called the "King of American Hardwoods." It makes up 2% of the U.S. commercial hardwoods. Often referred to as Black walnut and American Walnut, it laser engraves well and is the only "dark" American hardwood. The wood color ranges from light brown to deep chocolate brown with a strong grain pattern and can sometimes contain a hint of purple.
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rosewood
For us, rosewood is a finish, not the real wood. This irresponsibly harvested wood is a CITIES-listed endangered species. We use only American hardwoods to create a rosewood finish which many clients feel is the closest match to the real wood available. Same beauty, but being environmentally responsible. All of our rosewood pens are produced from readily available substitutes not on the endangered list.
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maple
Grows throughout the eastern United States. Hard and soft maple are very similar and make up 8% of the commercial hardwoods. Trees mature in 25-40 years. It laser engraves and stains well and is often used as a substitue for cherry. A traditional cutting board wood, also used for flooring, cabinets and furniture, it is a cream color with a light yellow to brownish tinge.
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cherry
Found in the mid-eastern United States, this wood belongs to the rose species and is 3.9% of the commercial hardwoods. Trees mature in 30 to 50 years, but can live beyond 200. It laser engraves and stains very well and is medium hard. The wood is a pinkish blonde color when cut, but as an aging wood, will darken to deep red hues when exposed to air and light. Cherry can contain brown pith flecks and gum pockets, a natural characteristic of this wood.
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alder
Abundantly available in the Pacific Northwest, this attractive wood is a relative of birch and makes up nearly 3% of the U.S. commercial hardwoods. Trees mature in 25 to 40 years. It laser engraves as well or better than any wood we offer, stains fairly well and is relatively soft for a hardwood. This wood is often referred to as the "poor man's cherry"; it is an amber cream color with a yellow to reddish tinge. Alder is an ideal selection for plaques and picture frames.
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golden mahogany (natural finish)
Like rosewood, mahogany is a finish, not the genuine hardwood. The finish is available in both golden (natural) and dark red (shown below). The actual wood is a tropical hardwood which contains shades of pinkish red and golden brown color and is mostly straight grained. It works well and is an aging wood like cherry, which becomes darker with exposure to light and air.
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dark red mahogany
This mahogany finish represents the color of aged mahogany after exposure to light over many years. This finish has been made popular primarily in the furniture industry and to a lesser extent by the musical instrument industry. It is often confused with rosewood and aged cherry. In fact, after many years it can be very difficult to tell the difference between aged cherry and dark red mahogany, other than grain pattern.
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aromatic red cedar
This wood is very finely textured and moderately hard for a softwood species. It contains mixtures of purplish-red and cream colors. This wood has made its reputation in cedar chests and closet liners for its unique fragrance; a strong cedar scent. Due to this attribute, many products produced in this wood are left unfinished to allow the fragrance to be more prominent.
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Lyptus®
Lyptus® is a trade name and is actually a hybrid of two species of Eucalyptus trees. Unlike bamboo, a grass which consumes large amounts of energy to be converted into a wood-like material, Lyptus® is a true hardwood tree which can mature in as little as 15 years. The trees are grown in large, environmentally-friendly plantations. It laser engraves and stains very well and is extremely hard. The wood is a salmon blonde color and is readily used as a substitute for oak, cherry and mahogany.
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