Material of the Month: August 2016 – Wild Cherry
Why it inspired us…
Silvery grained, pinkish brown when freshly cut and darkening to a deeper golden brown upon exposure to light, wild cherry is a fine textured wood with good mechanical properties, resistant to compression and traction. Due to its high malleability and good bending qualities it is frequently used for making musical instruments.
As the wood is not easily impregnated, it is suitable for interior use and is a popular choice for the making of veneer, furniture, carving and high quality interior joinery. Wild cherry is also ideal for turnery and for making small domestic articles and toys.
Why we’d like it to inspire you…
The wild Scottish cherry is also known as ‘sweet cherry’, ‘mazzard’ from Middle English, or ‘gean’ from Old French. A characteristic tangy smell distinguishes it from plain maple and when burnt, it produces a sweetly scented smoke, similar to the scent of its flowers.
Gean features frequently in Highland Folklore – in springtime, the vibrant displays of blossom on its branches, followed by drifts of fallen petals on the nearby hillsides, were believed to give it a somewhat mysterious quality and an encounter with one was considered auspicious and fateful.
Do you have any suggestions for another MATERIAL OF THE MONTH?
Or even another material? Please let us know!
Thanks!
