What a surprise!

 

Camphor Laurel is a strange tree. In Australia, it is regarded as a highly invasive evergreen weed that has a tendency to exclude most other desirable native vegetation. It has no serious predators or diseases so it has a competitive advantage over native vegetation. Yet Camphor Laurel is a valuable resource. It is used for a range of products and furniture including tables, kitchen benches, railings, bookcases, chairs, stairs, carvings, sculptures and various items that can be turned on a lathe. And curiously enough, in Japan, Camphor is not a weed, but a highly prized exotic wood of a beautiful, rich honey-colour with a clean, fresh Camphor smell. On Friday, young Manni from Melbourne, who makes our pocket watch stands, showed up at our office with 3 Camphor Laurel pocket watch stands. It was a bit of a surprise: I was expecting a dozen or so dark and heavy burl stands. Dark burl and steel pocket watch cases work really well and burl stands are Manni's signature pieces. Instead, we got three light, almost Nordic looking stands! Would it work? It did. Immediately, it became obvious that the shiny stainless and honey Camphor compliment each other in a very 'harmonic' way. This harmony was the result of a careful section of wood as well as the cutting technique where most of the dark grain is only visible from the side. While I personally favour intense wood, it is not difficult to picture this stand shining like a centrepiece on a black table or black book case. Coincidentally, Manni wears a Grand Seiko GMT and he is proud of his collection of 1970s Seiko chronographs which he restores himself! Small world.

Camphor Laurel: $250 each

Fiddleback River Red Gum: $275 What is cool about these particular pieces is that they feature figuring in the wood known as ‘fiddleback’, giving a unique striping pattern that dances in the light.

Artisan - made in Australia.

They are finally here!!

 

What an incredible set of pocket watch stands. If you haven't been following our pocket watch stand journey this past month, then you might be wondering what this is all about. A few weeks ago, we invited woodcrafters to join us on our quest for an Australian pocket watch stand. The idea being that with the finished work you could display both Aussie craftsmanship, and your pocket watch. Well we finally got our first sets in and we are very excited.  The stands are crafted from a selection of different and unique wood types with the first four being made by Australian woodcraftsman Manni, and the last made by Australian woodcraftsman, David.  The first two are crafted from Tasmanian timber, one being made from Blackheart Sassafras, and the other being made from Myrtle. The first thing I noticed when I picked up these ones is that they have an uncanny and distinct 'Tasmanian' scent to them. The third one is made from River Red Gum. What is cool about these particular pieces is that they feature figuring in the wood known as ‘fiddleback’, giving them that unique striping pattern that dances in the light. The fourth is made from a tree growth known as a Burl. Working with Burls is a time-consuming process. They must first be dried, then machined and rested in multiple stages, sanded, and finally polished. Which from start to finish may take place over a couple of weeks to several months depending on the size. You can check out our full write up about making the Burl pocket watch stand here: https://mailchi.mp/1275cf51cc03/and-the-winner-is-13384782?e=b47d12b684 The fifth is made from Red Cedar and has a very cool story behind it. "The back story of the Cedar is it came from the original balustrade in Brisbane Town Hall that was salvaged by the builder who replaced it. It was destined for the tip until I realised that it was old growth timber, hundreds of years old and which cannot be bought these days." These stands are the perfect companion for your desk to display your prized pocked watches and we couldn't be happier with how they turned out - each of them being completely unique and completely Australian crafted.

Tasmanian Blackheart Sassafras

Price: $275

Tasmanian Myrtle

Price: $275

Fiddleback River Red Gum

Price: $275

Burl from the root of a Yellow Mallee

Price: $275

This Red Cedar stand was made by David - 'The Box Junkie' with salvaged old growth timber from Brisbane Town Hall.

Price: $75

A Work of Art

A few weeks ago, we invited woodcrafters to join us on our quest for an Australian pocket watch stand. Today, we are in for a very special treat: a watch stand that is out of the ordinary. Handmade from Australian yellow mallee burl, by an Australian woodcraftsman, Manni.  Manni is a fellow newsletter subscriber and watch enthusiast, but he crafts wood for living.  Here is his introduction to this exciting one-of-a-kind pocket watch stand. “What is a Burl? A burl is a lumpy looking growth that forms on a tree due to abnormal bud cell growth. They are usually found around the base and roots of a tree but can be found on the trunk and branches as well. The cause of these growths is not completely understood but is believed to be due to disease and/or injury caused by bacteria, fungi, viruses, external stresses, and physical trauma. This growth results in twisted compacted wood resulting in wild beautiful grain patterns, sought after by woodworkers. You might say then if burls produce such beautiful patterns “Why don’t you see more Burl Timber products around?” and there are two main reasons for this: 1.    You cannot go to your local Bunnings or timber supplier and order a burl as they are hard to come by and specialised providers are just as hard to come by so woodworkers’ only other option is to go and harvest their own burls. 2.    They are very difficult to work with due to the interwoven twisted grain that results in opposing stresses and tensions in the timber and when machined can crack, twist and warp in unpredictable ways. To conclude, working with Burls is a time-consuming process. They must first be dried, then machined and rested in multiple stages, sanded, and finally polished which from start to finish may take place over a couple of weeks to several months depending on the size.”  A burl from the root of a Yellow Mallee

Slice from the above burl

Billet machined into rough shape   Two billets yielded from above slice

Machined and sanded to size

At this stage, Manni is happy to produce a few more pocket watch stands. We are not taking orders – once the stand is delivered to our office, it will be offered for sale. A number of subscribers have asked about the possibility of having a stand made for a specific pocket watch. We are not quite there yet, mainly due to the fact that each ‘non-standard’ pocket watch would have to be measured first (diameter, bow, stem length) and suitable piece of burl would need to be sourced. Our priority right now is to satisfy the needs of Seiko railway pocket watch collectors.   Once thing is certain: I cannot tell you how exciting it is to turn an “old fashioned” pocket watch into an art exhibit. A watch and stand are the perfect marriage, giving meaning to each other. A pocket watch without a stand to be displayed on is simply a hidden gem; and an empty stand, as beautiful as it is, serves no purpose.   A sophisticated synergy of craftsman working together!   As for the price: feel free to make an offer, and your offer will be considered.   Finally, if you wish to make your own stand, send me an email and I will send the .pdf drawing with all dimensions, for free, of course.