Christmas decorations come in all sorts of shapes and styles. Just spend a few minutes in a Christmas shop and you’ll see how inventive people can be in finding new ways of decorating. While many of these are commercially produced, there’s always a good representation of handmade décor from local artisans. One of the favorite … Read more
Ebony has long been a popular wood, especially for use in musical instruments. The black keys on a piano are traditionally made of ebony, woodwind instruments might be carved out of it and ebony is a favored material for guitar necks and other guitar pieces. Yet this may all change soon, as the various species … Read more
Plywood has become a staple for construction and woodworking, since it was first invented in 1865. Although an American invention, plywood has been adopted worldwide, to the point where over two billion dollars worth of the plywood used in the United States is imported. Most of this imported plywood is made to US specifications; but … Read more
The redwood tree, otherwise known as the giant sequoia is native to California, where the great redwood forests grow to over 300 feet in height, with trunk diameters of six to twelve feet. These majestic giants have been harvested extensively throughout the 1900s, to the point where now all old growth redwood is protected. However, … Read more
The Christmas Tree is one of the oldest Christmas symbols still in common use today. It dates back to western Germany in the 16th century. Some say that it was first used by a monk, using the triangular shape of the tree to describe the trinity. While it is clear that the tree has ties … Read more