I am looking for apple lumber or pieces large enough to make saw handles like the one shown in the photo. The ideal blank is quartersawn 4/4 or 5/4 x 6 inches wide x 8 inches long. Rift sawn or flat sawn may be acceptable, depending on the clarity and grain structure. Please let me know if you have any available or know of a source. Thank you for your help.
Replies
You might try Hearne Hardwood. https://www.hearnehardwoods.com/apple-american-lumber/
Check with Bob Page at Loon Lake Tool Works. H recently ran a small batch of custom joiners saws using apple, and he repairs saw handles. He may have a few blanks.
Ha, I've already asked him, but he was no help at all. (BTW, I'm Bob Page from LLTW ;-)
That's funny right there.
It's a small guild we constitute.
😄
So much for my good ideas. Next time I will note the sender before I make a fool of myself.
This thread is in fact the best thing going on the internet. Thank you all.
Don't let any of the Fine Woodworking editors hear you say that.
you can check with local arborists or tree removal companies to see if they have any apple trees that they have cut down and may be willing to sell the lumber from.
I don't know a source but have a question. How does pear wood compare to apple? There are a lot of those pear trees that produce those too tiny pears that are planted for scenery not fruit around here in Arkansas. I used one stump for making some planes and it works good. I think it's called Bartlett pear.
I have some old apple from Virginia orchards and I harvested a 18" dia. Bradford Pear tree that spilt for turning stock. The Bradford Pear, cut into 2"X 2" billets, is harder and more brittle than the old apple. Do not know if this is always the case. The Bradford pear has turned and finished nicely for chisel handles.
I've used a lot of Swiss pear. I don't know why they call it that, because it's from France. But it's about the nicest working wood I have ever used. It's like buttah. I've used it for planes also, and it's wonderful.
Where are you able to get Swiss pear? I've been interested in obtaining some for a while.
Rare Woods in Mexico Maine. They've got some sweet boxwood too.
Bartlett is the tree company. Bradford is the pear. They are getting banned in some cities. Yes, they look great in early spring when fruit trees bloom, but their branches and leaves aren't particularly attractive during summer and look like hell in winter. So if we woodworkers can turn them all into saw handles, chisel handles, planes, and maybe workbenches, so much the better!
Bartlett is not just a “tree company”, it is in fact a pear variety. It’s one of the most common varieties in the world. It’s known as Bartlett in the US and Canada, and Williams elsewhere.
I sit corrected!
The reason some communities ban Bradford Pear trees is because they grow so dense and the wood is so weak they are a tremendous nuisance and a leading cause of power lines being damaged, roads being block and injuries from the trees literally splitting in even moderate winds. A 12-15 year old Branford Pear is an accident waiting to happen as my neighbor found out about a month after I warned him he needed to thin his tree, unfortunately both he and my car found out I was right.
I needed a small piece of apple to repair a saw handle. I finally threw up my hands and used a piece of whitewood from a cherry board. Looks fine, near perfect.
Gilmer Wood in the PNW has some in stock. Curly and gorgeous.
This might seem silly and I know modern apple production uses dwarf stock but if you only need a bit for a saw handle or whatnot, you might try stopping in at an orchard particularly an older one that uses the semi dwarf stock. In rural Atlantic Canada, they are fairly ubiquitous as are feral apple trees off old roads and railroad tracks. Not as easy as the lumber store but with a keen eye you could do well. I have my eye on several that a recent storm took out that I hope to grab in the spring.
I'm all for tradition, and apple wood handles check that box. However, if I was making a new saw handle I would look for some nice figured wood, like curly or birds-eye maple. Lots of options and you don't need much wood.
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