Burl Wood

It is no exaggeration to say that most wood sculptors, wood crafting artists or furniture makers would include items made from burl in their list of prized possessions. Not too many trees produce burl wood and that explains why furniture or decoration pieces made from this type of wood are so much sought after. If you are a collector of wood sculptures, you might have seen the beautiful works of art that are created using this type of wood. If you have never come across furniture or decoration pieces made from this type of wood, here's some information that will provide you with a basic understanding on what makes this wood so rare.

What is a Burl?

Well you might be surprised to know that burl is basically wood that is derived from bulb-like protrusions or deformities that develop on some trees. It is basically an abnormal growth that occurs on the root or trunk of trees. It generally occurs when the tree is subjected to some kind of stress. It could be caused on account of infestation by fungi, mold or certain insects. Infestation or any type of injury to the tree causes a rounded or knotty, tumor-like growth on the tree. The interesting thing is that these outgrowths cause the wood fiber to develop swirls, knots and twists. It generally takes about four to five decades for such outgrowths to develop such intricate ring patterns.

The more interesting the pattern is, the more expensive the wood will be. Texture and color of the burl will also impact the price of wood extracted from a tree burl. Its size could range from small balls to massive growths. Outgrowths from certain trees are more expensive than others. For instance Amboyna burl from Padauk trees is quite expensive. This is basically due to the spectacular patterns that are created by the erratic growth of wood grain. One of the pattern that creates a dramatic effect is the creation of small spots or eyes being surrounded by swirls. Certain varieties are more prone to getting infested by fungi, mold or insects and are more likely to produce a larger number of outgrowths. Some of the trees that develop such outgrowths include Redwood trees, Oak trees, Buckeye, Myrtle wood, Spruce trees, Maple trees, Walnut and Elm trees.

What is Wood Extracted from Tree Burls Used for?

Once the outgrowth from the trunk or the root is removed from the tree, it is cut in order to examine the ring pattern. Sometimes, the growth is so big that several objects can be carved from a single burl. Though these outgrowths don't harm the trees, at times, the growth is so big that the tree might die due to its weight. Generally outgrowths from dead trees are gathered for the purpose of making wood furniture or wood sculpture. Wood that is cut from such outgrowths is highly valued when it comes to wood carving and crafts or furniture making. Burls from certain trees are used for making hand carved bowls, whereas some varieties of wood cut from tree outgrowths are used for making veneers or trims for furniture. It is also used for making mortar and pestles, wooden handicrafts or decoration pieces, jewelry boxes, wooden clocks, inlay in doors and tables, panels in automobiles and inlays for picture frames. Furniture made from this type of wood blends best with the decor of country homes, but these can also be used as a part of contemporary interior design ideas. Due to their rich texture and beautiful patterns, this type of wood produces the most amazing type of furniture. Due to the texture of the wood grain, one needs to be very careful while working on wood cut from tree outgrowths. Working with this type of wood is very difficult because of the irregular grains within the burl. Wood sculptors have to use their excellent woodworking skills to create exotic-looking pieces. The rarer the pattern, the more expensive would the furniture or sculptures be. Generally wood sculptors or artists hand carve the piece using wood carving techniques or shape the wood on a wood lathe to create beautiful objects from this wood.

Isn't it amazing that a deformity in wood can be turned into such beautiful works of art! Well, it wouldn't be wrong to call burl handicrafts as a work of art produced by a combined effort of Man and Nature.