Turkish wood?

[corbs]

I have been commissioned to make a Gallipoli set of pens from an 8mm Mouser round (Turkish) and a .303 round (ANZAC). The wood for the .303 will be Red Mallee Burl but I am having trouble finding a wood that would represent Turkey. I would have loved to have gotten a piece of the Lone Pine from the War Memorial when a significant portion broke off but it got too hard and there seemed very little interest from the AWM.

So I open to the forum, what would be a good wood to represent Turkey (and where can I get a pen blank sized piece)

Corbs

[echnidna]

The lone pine tree looks very similar to a radiata tree, I suspect the timber will be similar.

Olive may be a good choice as I'm sure it grows in Turkey.

[texx]

there are heaps of old turkish mausers laying in gun smiths all over australia , i wonder if you could get an old stock off one and use the wood from the gun it's self

that was one thing that peeved me when the gov did the gun buy back i saw millions of gun stocks on the news being destroyed , some of them are very very nice timber what a waste.
the barrels would of been handy too as in long and strong

[Manuka Jock]

There is a good chance that the Mausers used by the Turks had stocks of walnut , it was their most commonly used timber


The Lone Pine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_Pine

[orraloon]

The old gun stocks would be German wood.
I heard somewhere that a lot of seedlings from the origonal pine had been grown all over the country. Try contacting the RSL and see if they can find you a bit from somewhere.

[corbs]

Olive wood was one of my thoughts for the wood too but thought I might see if there was another wood that might be more appropriate. I like the idea of the old Mauser stock too, might look into it at work a little and see if the client is interested in that idea.

I know there are Lone Pine's all over Australia and its a pretty plain wood but if I go down that avenue I want to be able to put my hand on my heart and say, that wood is from 'a' Lone Pine which is a direct descendent from the one at Gallipoli.

[echnidna]

As the decendant trees of the lone pine are quite old now there is a real possibility you might be lucky and find some large branches that have been pruned for safety reasons.

[44Ronin]

Two words:

Turkish Walnut.

The figured variety

[corbs]

Bob,
The thought has occurred to me, would love to know what happened to the huge chunk of the AWM's Lone Pine. I hope it ended up being used and not just going to woodchips. I know of three in Canberra so might make some enquiries.

... and a new contender has entered the field... will do a search myself but anyone know where I can get some Turkish Walnut? That's nice stuff. Only need two pen blanks.

Corbs

[Manuka Jock]

The old gun stocks would be German wood.

Yep , German walnut untill the later stages of WW1 when they started running out .

[echnidna]

Bob,
The thought has occurred to me, would love to know what happened to the huge chunk of the AWM's Lone Pine. I hope it ended up being used and not just going to woodchips. I know of three in Canberra so might make some enquiries.

... and a new contender has entered the field... will do a search myself but anyone know where I can get some Turkish Walnut? That's nice stuff. Only need two pen blanks.

Corbs

I seem to recall someone on these forums was doing something about that.
A detailed search might tell you who it was. I have a very vague idea it was a serving soldier who has done or is doing a tour of duty in Timor

[corbs]

Have sent the Turkish Walnut mob an email and will see what comes about. Will keep you all posted.

[jimbur]

Just a thought. The wood we think of as English Box is also Turkish. Buxus Sempervirens.
Jim

[bsrlee]

There were several Gallipoli Pines in Hyde Park, Sydney, near the War Memorial, but the wonderful, politically correct council had them chopped down unannounced. No idea what happened to the wood, probably wood chipped like everything else.