#464 Now Sold

Rare Elm Burr and 24ct Gold Plated Fountain Pen 

A burr (American burl) is a tree growth in which the grain has grown in a deformed manner. It is commonly found in the form of a rounded outgrowth on a tree trunk or branch that is filled with small knots from dormant buds.

A burr results from a tree undergoing some form of stress. It may be environmental or introduced by humans. Most burr grow beneath the ground, attached to the roots as a type of malignancy that is generally not discovered until the tree dies or falls over. Such burrs sometimes appear as groups of bulbous protrusions connected by a system of rope-like roots. Almost all burr wood is covered by bark, even if it is underground. Insect infestation and certain types of mould infestation are the most common causes of this condition.

Burr yields a very peculiar and highly figured wood, one prized for its beauty by many; its rarity also adds to its expense. It is sought after by people such as furniture makers (mainly used as veneers, artists, and wood sculptors. The knots and twists in oak Burrs are usually a few per foot or so, however these pens have many more to make a spectacular premium quality dressing for only the best of the pen mechanisms that I sell.

Seasoning burr can be a long drawn out process that can take many years and there is no guarantee that there will be any usable timber once it is sawn.

Our daughter Jess called from Poole and gave us the great news that she would be able to pop up and visit us towards the end of the month. It'd be the first time she drove up to visit us and Birmingham isn't the best place for parking. With nothing else needing doing in Birmingham we decided to head out of town to new waters for us and get as close to Stratford upon Avon canal basin as possible for her visit.

Canal cruising is a bit trickier in the depths of winter. Frozen ropes and icy back decks are enough for me after about four hours or so and there is a real danger that a couple of cold days in a row could mean the canal is frozen solid and we wouldn't be going anywhere.

32 miles and 54 locks doesn't sound an awful lot but it equates to a trip of about 28 hours. Luckily most of the canal down here is fairly deep, without too many moored boats to slow right down for and at this time of year hardly any other boats are moving so we made fantastic time. We left Cambrian wharf early Monday morning and by Wednesday we had moored up in Stratford upon Avon a little after the sun had set over the basin.

Pen #464 was turned in the canal basin at Stratford Upon Avon on Wednesday 2nd March 2016