Wood

What is it about a shaped and sanded piece of wood that makes us want to touch it? And why are we attracted to bold and subtle changes in the grain and coloring of natural wood? I don't know, but I know what I like. My guess is that others enjoy natural wood too. It's a bonus when these beautiful chunks of wood actually do some useful work, like opening a bottle.

Sources:

I choose wood that has interesting color or texture for these bottle openers. Much of it comes as recycled scrapes from furneture shops such as Made in Pescadero Furniture or exotic woodworkers such as It's a Burl in Kerby, Oregon. I also use wood purveyors around the country such as Dom Ex or Hearne Hardwoods and woodworking supply stores such as WoodCraft, but some wood I collect at Tahoe or on my travels. I endeavor to purchase sustainably harvested exotic woods, but there is very little control over wood suppliers in the quantities that I use. Infact the Forest Stewardship Council's FSC Certification Program does not control suppliers who sell in small quantities at all. Still, we strive to be part of the solution, not the problem, so I seek suppliers who are vigilant about who they buy from and I will divulge what I know about the source of each wood product I use.

Below is an example of an inquiry to a hardwood distributor and their reply that illistrates the difficulty in certifying sustainably harvested exotic woods:

7-30-13
Dear Hearne Hardwoods,

Your web page shows some amazing photos of the processing of large exotic trees. I could not find any statements that you verify that the lumber you purchase is taken in a responsible way to avoid the destruction of the rain forests. Obviously many of these beautiful trees grow in rain forest areas, but I want my customers to know that the companies I do business with are not purchasing illegal tree products or products that result in further destruction to wildlife areas. How do you verify this?

Thanks for the inquiry Jeff,

Wwe are FSC certified but the problem is that not many forests are certified due to the cost of the surveys. We do try very hard to make sure the people we work with have a high respect for their resources. The problem usually isn't the logging as it is the settlers who follow the loggers for home steading. They slash and burn the forest and plant sustenance level agriculture to feed their families, playing the ground out in three years because they can't afford fertilizer. As a first world country we need to find a way to share our wealth with poor countries if we expect them not to exploit their resources the way our forefathers did 100 years ago. I would suggest that if your customers don't understand this you should recommend that they travel to the third world, get off the tourist routes and find out what a struggle it is for these people to live. These are very difficult issues and I don't have any great ideas as how to resolve them. We do try very hard to be responsible in the way we do business.

Thanks, Rick Hearne

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Wood Varieties

My Elegent Bottle Openers can be made out of most any wood, but I have found that hardwoods look and feel the best. They have a heft to them and they produce a shine that many soft woods lack. These are the woods I am currently working with, but I rotate new ones in when I find them. If you have a favorite variety not on my current list, let me know. Many additional woods can be found in the wild or from suppliers, but may require additional time and money.

Got a favorite piece of wood you would like made into a bottle opener? Send it to me. Custom work will cost a little extra ($10), but having a nice handcrafted bottle opener made out of a something that has some history or a personal story behind it has real value. Contact us for details.