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July-August 2020 Lumber Newsletter | Our live edge slab inventory continues to grow and evolve. We are confident you will find a species and slab that speaks to you from our vast selection. Check out our July-August 2020 Lumber Newsletter to see our most recent arrivals. Questions or comments? Send your inquiries to sales@mbveneer.com
Follow our lumber aficionado Jon @mbohlkelumber on Instagram to be the first to see new arrivals.
August 2020 Wood of the Month | We have a wide variety of Cherry wood veneer. From various species to varying lengths, widths and grades within those species.
American Cherry is a handsome tree growing up to 80 feet. Their trunk diameters are usually between 2-3 feet. This indigenous wood was used quite heavily in the 18th century for furniture and cabinets. It was also popular for the backings of musical and scientific instruments.
Today, Cherry veneer is still an excellent choice for cabinetry and furniture. It’s also used for architectural panels, acoustic panels and millwork, as well as ceilings and doors.
American Cherry wood veneer is a light brown with pink or red overtones. Natural characteristics include gum pockets, pins and figure. Cherry wood veneer also has a satiny finish and fine texture.
European Cherry wood veneer heartwood ranges from pink to warm red and golden brown tones. This veneer eventually darkens to a deeper golden brown with time and upon light exposure. The grain is fine, straight and close. Common uses include architectural millwork, paneling, cabinetry, fixtures and furniture, as well as musical instruments.
European Cherry reaches heights between 60-90 feet with trunk diameters around 1-3 feet. This species is native to Great Britain and Europe. It also grows in the mountains of North Africa and southeast Asia.
Native to South America, Fireland Cherry is the largest of the Cherry trees discussed here. This species can grow to over 100 feet in height with trunk diameters closer to five feet. Fireland Cherry quarter cut wood veneer has pleasant red tones. Colors can also range from creamy off-white, to creamy red to pale brown with a pink cast. Straight grained with a fine texture.
Spessart Oak veneer and lumber is highly prized in the wood industry. We sometimes refer to it as European Oak, although all of our Spessart Oak inventory was grown exclusively in the Spessart Forest located in Bavaria, Germany.
Spessart Oak wood veneer and Spessart Oak lumber are both very versatile. In fact, Spessart Oak is considered the gold standard of all Oaks. It is used for a multitude of applications, including fine furniture, architectural millwork and panels, as well as cabinetry and doors.
Because of responsible forest management, the Spessart Forest has mineral-free soil and just the right amount of annual rainfall, as well as proper drainage. These old growth trees average 20-30 growth rings per inch (and they can be as tight as 60-70) and are selectively cut at peak maturity.
As a result, Spessart Oak trees have beautiful, consistent color, and very fine and tight uniform grain structure. The color is usually a straw yellow to golden brown, and the wood is free of mineral streaks.
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Bocote and Ziricote highlight | Bocote and Ziricote are close relatives – both are Central American woods and belong to the cordia genus. Each wood is dark, dramatic, and full of contrast. Our M. Bohlke Lumber team has recently checked in some handsome Bocote and Ziricote.
European (Spessart) Oak |The new Euro Oak is excellent, too, and we have pulled for quarter.
Other Noteworthy New Arrivals |African Padauk, Khaya, Santos, Wenge, and more!
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June 2020 Wood of the Month | Pearwood veneer is rather rare; at M. Bohlke we have both plain and figured Pearwood. Flat and quarter cut Pearwood veneer can be made available.
Pearwood is native to central and eastern Europe with a wide distribution in some parts of Asia and the United States. These trees can reach heights of 60 feet with trunk diameters generally between 2 to 3 feet. It is also commonly called European Pearwood. Swiss Pearwood refers to the premium veneer type of this species.
Pearwood is used in Europe much in the same way that Black Cherry is used in the United States: as a popular and high-quality domestic hardwood. Both flat and quarter cut Pearwood veneer are sometimes used as a substitute for ebony when stained.
Colors range from light creamy yellows to medium reddish browns, along with pink undertones. This veneer has a very fine, straight grain with a close and uniform texture. Once finished, Pearwood exudes warmth.
Depending on the cut, Pearwood veneer flat cut (plain sliced) is commonly used for architectural millwork while the figured veneer generally goes to high-end furniture. Flat cut Pearwood veneer makes the grain more wavy with some cathedrals.
Some other noteworthy applications include musical instruments, as well as cabinetry and doors. Figure can be moderate to heavy.
Lumber: We currently have 4/4, 5/4, 8/4 and 10/4 Pearwood boules available from M. Bohlke Lumber.
We offer Live Log Inspection to our architectural veneer project customers. Our live stream service connects our teams, no matter the distance. Contact us today to discover how we can help elevate your next project.
May 2020 Wood of the Month | Carillian Birch Burl is a prime wood veneer choice when a project calls on a distinctive, luxurious aesthetic. Also spelled as Karelian, and sometimes called European Birch, Masur Birch or Flamey Birch.
It has creamy and tan hues, burly type figure and knots. The darker brown veins and curls create striking contrast. Fine textured and lustrous.
Add wood’s natural warmth to its appearance and we have a highly sought after, and rare, veneer. The grain patterns of Carillian Birch Burl are somewhat similar to burl figure but they are in fact their own type of pattern only found in European Birch that have met specific soil conditions.
European Birch does not create forests of its own, but rather grows separately or in small groups. Due to tightly controlled felling and the fact that this wood can only be harvested in mid-winter when the ground is frozen, this tree is really precious. It is found in Europe, primarily in Finland. (Source: karelianheritage.com)
Limited only by the imagination, common uses include architectural millwork, automobile dashboards, fine furniture, cabinetry and high-end inlay projects. Also used in yacht and private aircraft design, as well as musical instrument builds, like custom drums and guitars.
Lumber: In addition to European Birch burl veneer, we have figured boules (ice/flame) and North American Birch (Betula papyrifera) square edge available from M. Bohlke Lumber.
We offer Live Log Inspection to our architectural project customers. Our live stream service connects our teams, no matter the distance. Contact us today to discover how we can help elevate your next project.
Valued Customers, Clients, and Friends
Due to the difficult COVID-19 situation, we understand many travel plans and customer inspections have been cancelled for the foreseeable future. We think this is the best scenario to protect our families, communities and companies. We are all together in this difficult time.
At M. Bohlke Corp. we are still open and operating. We have been well equipped to prepare for this situation and have implemented proper precautions to limit the spread of the virus. These business interruptions are not ideal for anyone, but we are glad to share that we may have the solution to these travel restrictions that may affect all woodworking production.
We have been operating and using our “Live Log Inspection” for several months in which you can remotely view a veneer inspection via a live stream on your computer from work or home! We are also able to record this inspection ahead of time and send the video files to you via the cloud for viewing at your leisure.
Contact us today if you have interest in using our innovative Live Stream service as we navigate through this challenging time together.
Thank you and stay safe,
M. Bohlke Team
March 2020 Wood of the Month | Imbuya, Imbuia, Brazilian Walnut. Imbuya goes by many different names. Although it is not a true Walnut, Imbuya wood veneer possesses many of the same characteristics such as rich colors and interesting grain patterns.
Found primarily in Brazil, Imbuya grows to heights of 130 feet with trunk diameters around six feet. These large trees allow for substantial veneer yields that are excellent for high-end projects.
With that said, Imbuya has unique aesthetic from log to log. Heartwood varies widely from medium to dark chocolate with contrasty streaks and stripes. Imbuya can also have olive tones, reddish or golden hues.
Along with the multitude of colors, a wide array of grain patterns and figure types are seen in Imbuya wood veneer – clusters, burls, pommele and fiddlebacks are just a few. In addition to all of the color and figure variation, Imbuya has fantastic contrast, and often has pips, pecks and irregular markings.
We have Imbuya flat cut veneer and Imbuya quarter cut veneer available. Lengths vary from 8-10’+ with widths between nine inches to 2 feet and wider. We have various figure types of Imbuya wood veneer in stock including pommele, burl and cluster. We also have dyed options available.
Uses: Architectural millwork, fine furniture and cabinetry, as well as yacht and aircraft interiors.
Contact us to discover more about our extensive inventory and how we can help take your project to the next level.
Monkeypod, Raintree, Saman | In our most recent M. Bohlke Lumber newsletter, we delve into its workability, characteristics and what our Monkeypod live edge and Bohlke lumber inventory currently looks like.
The name Monkeypod comes from the shape of the fruit these trees produce. Outside of Hawaii, one of the more common names for Monkeypod is Raintree, which is due to the leaves folding up at night or during periods of rainfall. Besides Raintree, this wood knows many names and has many uses depending on the region, ranging from construction to high end furniture.
These rather huge and fast growing trees can produce large dimensional live edge slabs and lumber. Within our architectural and design community, Monkeypod is crafted into both indoor and outdoor furniture, cabinets and boat trim. It is an excellent choice for furniture and the possibilities with Monkeypod live edge slabs are virtually endless. We’ve seen many bar tops, countertops, dining tables, conference tables and more created from this stunning wood.
Click here to read our newsletter, all about Monkeypod lumber.
Check out Jon’s instagram @mbohlkelumber to see new arrivals first.
February 2020 Wood of the Month | Commonly called Ceylon Satinwood, Satinwood veneer and lumber has fine texture and a high natural luster. The colors range from a rich and bright yellow to a deeper golden hue. Darker streaks throughout are typical.
Quarter cut Satinwood veneer has incredibly desirable mottled, ropey or ribbon figure. Aptly named, Satinwood figure can appear almost three dimensional and looks very similar to the lustrous satin fabric.
Because the trunk diameters are usually around 12 inches, the veneer is typically quite narrow. Some trees grow to larger diameters and we do have some larger dimensions available. In raw form, this wood has a light chalky powder that dissipates after sanding.
A little background: Chloroxylon swietenia and Zanthoxylum flavum are the only species that are true Satinwood. This family includes Citrus trees, like Lemon and Lime trees. Other woods like Movingui and Yellowheart are sometimes called satinwood, but they are not part of the same family.
Uses: Traditionally used in cabinetry, although it has many applications in today’s design world. These include architectural millwork, inlaying, fine furniture, decorative paneling, as well as automotive and aircraft interiors.
Lumber availability: In addition to quarter cut and flat cut veneer, we also have Satinwood lumber in square edge form. Our inventory currently consists of 4/4, 6/4 and 8/4 FAS&BTR.
Contact us today for assistance with your design specifications and experience our first class service.