What We See Inside a Century-Old Root
Cut into a root that has been in the ground for a hundred years and you never know what you will find. Some of it is wonderful, and some of it is not.
Every root is a surprise box, and some of the surprises are bad.
Summary
- The inside of a root can differ dramatically from its outside.
- We sometimes find fine grain, deep streaking, and sound wood; sometimes we find rot, voids, or cracks.
- This uncertainty is one reason not every root becomes a piece.
Key takeaways
- Roots hide their interiors until cut.
- A significant share of roots fail inspection.
- Honest sorting protects the quality of the finished pieces.
When a root comes to the workshop, we have to make decisions based on what we can see: the outside, the weight, the sound when tapped. The inside remains a mystery until the turner cuts.
The good surprises
Sometimes a rough, ugly root opens up to reveal beautiful wood. Pale, creamy flesh with sharp, dark streaks. A swirl of grain that looks like a river from above. A figure so lively that the turner pauses and calls the others over.
These moments are the reason we do this. They happen often enough to keep us going.
The bad surprises
Other times, the first cut reveals trouble. A hollow where the core has rotted away. A crack that runs deeper than the surface suggested. A soft patch that crumbles under the tool. A buried stone or a nail from some long-ago fence that dulls the blade.
When this happens, the turner stops and assesses. Sometimes the problem is small enough to work around. Sometimes the root has to be set aside.
The unpredictable middle
Most roots fall somewhere between. They have a few flaws and a few strengths. The turner has to decide how to shape the piece so that the strengths show and the flaws either disappear or become part of the character.
A small crack can be left visible if it is stable. A soft area can be cut away if it is shallow. The aim is not perfection, but honesty.
What we do not do
We would rather lose a root than finish a piece that is not what it appears to be. If a flaw cannot be dealt with honestly, the root is set aside.
That standard comes at a cost, and it is part of why we cannot make many pieces. But it matters to us.
Why it makes the good ones better
Knowing how many roots fail makes the successful ones feel more precious. Each piece in the archive is a survivor, a root that went through selection in the field, rest on the shelves, and inspection at the lathe. You can read more about how we choose in How We Decide Which Roots Come Out of the Ground.
Common questions
What happens to a root with a serious flaw?
If a flaw cannot be handled honestly, the root is set aside rather than finished.
Are all your roots sound?
The pieces we finish are sound. Roots that fail inspection do not become pieces.
Keep reading
Every piece is one of one.
Browse the specimen archive and acquire the piece that speaks to you. Each is catalogued once and sold once.