Material: Osage Orange
“Rich in both beauty and history.”
Osage Orange is one of the first types of wood I used and would fall under one of my favorites to turn with. It’s easy, it’s comfortable, it’s oily, and fun to turn. If not for those reasons, it’s got to be for its rich history.
Before there were fence posts and barbed wire in this country, there was a method used where they planted the seeds of the Osage Orange very close together and they would grow into what was called a natural “Hedgerow.” (This is a type of fence in which the trees grow tightly together creating a fence made entirely of natural tree posts. If the trees spread and grow outside of the desired boundary, they are trimmed back to keep the fence in a tight row.) If properly executed and maintained over a long period of time, these would grow to be impenetrable even to small animals.
My Osage Orange turnings are all made from this very natural hedgerow material found on my farm. Some of the original trees planted by early settlers in this part of the country are still standing today. Pretty neat!
