New species?

Today I’m going to play investigative reporter and look into a new species of wood that has apparently been developed/imported for a specialized woodworking task.

Our local paper (motto: “Now with words and stuff!”) had a sales flyer this morning for one of those job lot stores, the kind that have tons of close-out merchandise that’s real cheap. The kind of stuff that if you don’t grab it this week, it won’t be there next week. Apparently this store recently did a huge buyout of some craft-store chain, and the flyer was filled with all of it.

Among the items was one that might be a breaking story in the woodworking industry. They have, at up to 75 percent off and more, something they call “bookend wood.” I’m intrigued, to say the least. I’m guessing that this is wood specially bred and grown for bookends, with the grain somehow forming a natural corner that’s exactly 90 degrees it can perfectly support the end a book. A boon for those building bookends, of course, but it seems to me that bookend wood would be a natural for use in any wooden item that had a 90-degree corner. I’m thinking two pieces of bookend wood could be joined to form a box, for example. Oh, wait – I guess that’s what boxwood is for.

On the other hand, I could have this all wrong. Maybe bookend wood isn’t for making bookends. Maybe it’s wood that was harvested from bookends.

And if that’s the case, it really makes me worry about zebrawood.

Till next time,

A.J.