For the true lover of wood, beauty lies mostly in the visual feature.   But for many, other senses and emotions are stimulated.  Most wood emits an odor when the surface is abraded or cut.  The typical worker of wood loves the smell, and enjoys feelings evoked by the aroma.

Some woods contain properties that stain the hands when worked.  Oak contains tannin which was used to tan animal hides, and leaves a blackish stain on fingers that rub against the bare wood.  Some woods are toxic and create dermatological issues for the worker, which heighten the awareness of the nature of the variety of the wood.  Such woods often contain properties that make them a pleasure to work.

Which brings me to the tactile beauty of wood.  Wood feels different than other materials.  Most feel creamy smooth and wonderful to touch when smoothed.  Many posses open grain that is less pleasant, but enjoyable to feel none the less.  Those who dry the wood naturally over the years and not in kilns swear the wood feels different than wood dried in a kiln like most of us know.

But mostly, there is the visual feature of wood that distinguishes it from so many other materials.  Once it lived, and while alive the life of the tree was recorded by growth rings, decay, abuse, weather, pests and disease.  Some of the most spectacular pieces of wood exhibit characteristics that are labeled, but the reason for them is still unknown.  Curly Maple is such a wood.

Sometimes, even the shavings of wood made by my hand planes captivate me, and I occasionally have to stop and take a photo.  I will include a couple that I think could easily make a desktop background.  From a recent tuning of a Stanley #4, I took shavings from walnut, poplar, purpleheart and pine.

Enjoy!