NOTE: This listing doesn't offer pack(s) choices, blanks/packs are too identical to require such method so, simply select "Add to cart" and then select the number of packs you want, on the "quantity" window.

Even tough, I specialise mostly with/on local timber species, these 2 Oak barrels that I've got from a friend, in exchange for a fair size trees trimming job that the wife and I (as always), done in this friend's huge back/front yards, in September 2011.

Out of some other timbers species that we didn't have, he's got contacts with one of the major wine producers in the region, that imports these Oak barrels (new) from France and the USA for the curing off their Port wine.

After these barrels are used once, and for whatever the time that takes for each barrel to cure its contents, the barrels are never used again and put aside.  He got a few and while most are from the American Oak, I spotted this one that had a slightly different wood grain than the rest

While both French and American Oaks do an identical job at curing the normal wine into Port, the wood is slightly different, and you will be able to see that, in the French -Oak samples and the American-Oak samples...!

The American barrels have wider "ribs" and the wood is slightly thicker than the French ones, this was particularly of "interest" when I tried to cut some cross blanks out of this American wood.  The barrels are made of various  width ribs and the widest ones, were just wide enough to give me 130mm necessary as a full length pen blank so, the cross cut series, has a combination of lengths, from 3" to 4"1/2.

I believe, the fumes from the bandsaw blade ripping on the semi-wet wood, made me feel all of a certain, a little drunk, from which I stopped for a little while, returning some time later armed with a strong Industrial fan, to blow the fumes away from my nose...!

The wood is a pleasure to work with and finishes very well, with not much effort.

All blanks are dry and waxed on one face, for protection and colour enhancement. 

Thank you for visiting...!