Masur Birch anyone?

New bowl blanks for the showroom.

New goodies added to the Online Store, just in time for the holidays!

We know many of you have been asking for the following species, so here they are -

Masur Birch blanks in assorted sizes-
(great turning wood from Finland. Hard to find material but we have plenty of it!)







Tatajuba bowl blanks-
(Best way to describe this species-blond "wenge-like" grain with dark mineral streaks-very unique!)





Buckeye Burl!-
(Neat assorted sizes for a wide variety of projects)




Just In!
Ebony 3/4 x 3/4 x 6 blanks-
(can't beat nice and dry ebony at a great price, can be used for pens,plugs,accents, etc.)



Hundreds of other items listed online, Shop online 24/7 at TEH!
www.tehwoods.com

Our wood spotted at a boutique!

We thought this wood looked a little familiar...

Exotic wood bracelets by Phil Audia and Jill Dedominicis of Wood and Silver on display at a small boutique in downtown San Diego.

Look at that bottom picture. Solid Masur Birch about 1/4" thick!

Looks like some Rose Myrtle Burl and Ziricote bracelets as well.

These two do some amazing work, check out all their pieces at woodandsilver.com

Exotic Wood Pepper mills by Pepper-Passion

Nice collection of Exotic Pepper mills-
Cocobolo, Purpleheart, Ebony, and other assorted exotics.

Here is a nice matching set out of Masur Birch

Looks like a set out of Ziricote

A lineup of Bocote pepper mills

Jarrah Burl

Pepper-Passion is a source for gourmet peppercorns and sea-salts.

They also manufacture heirloom quality salt and pepper mills, handcrafted in elegant designs from rare and exotic hardwoods.
To see some of their work, please visit their website:

www.pepper-passion.com




On a side note:



Make sure you check out the new November e-newsletter by clicking the following link-

November Newsletter

A bunch of new exotics that are available for purchase on the Online Store



Havn't signed up for the Newsletter?

Click here to sign yourself up, don't miss out on new items at the shop!

Now this is pretty!

Masur Birch from Finland.

Visit by the Orange County Woodturners

Here are a bunch of guys on a mission!




Just had to snap a shot of this...beautiful!

Turning by customer Jon Sauer

We received this amazing piece yesterday from customer Jon Sauer from Pacifica California

Jon used both our Masur Birch and Bloodwood in the construction of this piece

Wood Boxes By Mike Stafford

Mike Stafford started turning boxes after reading a book by Richard Raffan entitled Turning Boxes. On the cover was a beautiful turned box that prompted him to purchase the book and begin teaching himself to turn wood. After 5 years he is still enamored with taking a small piece of wood and turning it into a box.



To see some of Mike's work, visit his website www.turnedwoodboxesbymike.com

Min Koide- 11-02-1926 - 11-23-2008

Sadly, our good friend and longtime customer Min Koide passed away last month. As far as Mitch can remember, Min was one of our very first customers and can remember selling wood to him when Tropical Exotic Hardwoods was nothing more than a few pallets of wood in a storage shed.

Min was a very special person and a remarkable woodworker to say the least.
Yesterday we visited a memorial at his exhibit in Balboa Park here in San Diego, California. Before falling ill, one of Min's last requests was that no matter what happened, his exhibit would go on and his artwork would be enjoyed by the many visitors to the Japanese Friendship Garden located in Balboa Park.

Below is a sampling of some of his pieces that are on display until Feb. of next year.

We encourage anyone who is interested in woodworking to visit his exhibit and enjoy the works of this incredible woodturner.

"Wood Bowls of Min Koide"

November 2, 2008- February 27, 2009

Japanese Friendship Garden

Balboa Park

San Diego, California

Click here to go to the website of the Japanese Friendship Garden

Gorgeous pieces out of Masur Birch

This was possibly one of Min's last pieces. We remember Min purchasing this piece of Black and White Ebony in July of this year.

A couple pieces made out of Cocobolo. The larger one is of a Cocobolo Crotch.

Turning a piece like this is amazing. The skill and experience needed is just mind boggling. Min was a true master.

Here is a set of three hollow forms out of Mexican Kingwood.

When most look at Mexican Kingwood logs they are too scared to try and work with it. All they point out is the cracks, sapwood, bark inclusions, and any other excuse that keeps them from turning this exceptional wood.

Min was able to recognize the beauty in each piece and realized that certain flaws were just part of the nature of certain woods. Here he incorporates the sapwood and voids in vertical bands around the piece and does it in such a beautiful way that it is almost impossible to capture in a picture.

This is a one many Macassar Ebony Bowls that Min created out of a large log that he purchased years ago. Mitch remembers delivering the piece to his residence and according to Min's son Gary, whats left of the log is still sitting in his workshop waiting to be turned.

This is another late piece by Min. He purchased this Ribboned Purpleheart from us this summer and might easily be the last piece he did.

This is done out of a solid Pink Ivory Log section.

Just one of the Numerous Cocobolo bowls Min has turned throughout the years.

Spalted Maple Bowls

This piece is incredible . A chest of drawers Min made for his mother when he was sixteen out of scrap redwood and pine that he found. This was made while he and his family were placed in a Japanese Internment camp during World War II.

Nice article on Masur Birch

Here's a little write up in Woodshop News on Masur Birch



Click Here to read the article

Prices and sizes of our Masur Birch

This stuff is not only delightful to turn but has one of the nicest endgrain figure of any wood.
Here is a sampling of of a few different sizes and prices. We also have full logs as well.

A. 3"x 5.5"x 24 $117.00
B. 5.5"rd x26.5" $221.00
C. 6.5" rd x 7" $78.00
D. 5.5"rd x 8.5" $71.50
E. 6"rd x 12" $117.00
F. 6.5"rd x 12" $130.00

Bowl turned out of our Masur Birch

Bowl turned by one of our customers out of Masur Birch from Finland.
Masur birch log sections in the rough. It is highly prized for its end grain figure.

Masur Birch logs

Got these in from Finland. Great end grain figure. We have full logs also available (40"+) Call to see what we have.