Getting my hands on exotic material is not something that happens every day, so when I see it, I try to get it. Small bits are never trash or “leftovers” after a project. Those tiny bits may just be lucky enough to become inlay, or legs for a small keepsake box. In this case, a one of a kind, exotic material was on order, and when the natural colors come together, you can get a visually stunning piece. Have a look at this beauty of a box. The sides are zebrawood, and the legs are a material called wenge (pronounced win-gee) The top is a lamination of zebrawood on top, and figured walnut on the bottom. The lift handle is wenge, and the white wood on the underside is hard maple, inlayed into a grid pattern to create some interest. If you look closely, you can just make out the wenge inlay around the top edge of the box, and even see the box joints in the corners. What you have to really look closely to see is the fact that the zebrawood walls are cove cuts as well, although much less drastically than the wenge legs. This was a complex build, and one of the things that I consider a luxury item. Without a doubt, it is the only one of its kind in the world. Items like this are hugely dependent on availability of the material, and the material often has huge swings in pricing. If you want something like this (they make great gifts for the impossible to buy for), you have to be flexible on the materials used, and patient on the timeline.
All of that rambling aside, if you would like something like this, don’t hesitate to contact me!
Oh, and check out these other uses of exotics!
