How do you value the opportunity to work with irreplaceable wood?  A while back, I was given the gift of some reclaimed wormy American Chestnut.  Incidentally, all wormy American Chestnut is reclaimed because the species was wiped out in a blight by the 1940’s.  So the gift represents a once in a lifetime opportunity. My first project using the wood was a keepsake box made as a thank you gift.  My next was one of my favorite designs, the Limbert tabouret #238.  I usually use quarter sawn white oak for this design but thought that the wormy chestnut would be shown off to good effect.

My best work has always been done when I spend the money for the best material available.  The higher the investment, the greater the care I have applied to completing the project.  This material presented a new pressure, in that there were no do overs if mistakes were made.  The results are something I am both proud of and grateful for .