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 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
Before plastics took over our world, people and companies had to make things out of different materials. If we look at the toys of a century ago, we’ll find that many toys which are made out of plastic today were made out of wood, fabric, metal and even leather. Commercially manufactured toy cars and trucks … Read more
Bamboo has long been used as a building material in the Far East and seen as a curiosity here in the West. That’s rapidly changing though, as people are finding more and more creative ways to use bamboo in the place of either wood or paper. Today it is possible to find bamboo “paper” towels, … Read more