IWCS sample packs

[Alancw]

For those of you collecting, Bell is selling packs of 32.

Exotic Wood Sample Packs - 30 Exotic Wood Samples | Bell Forest Products

An exotic wood sample pack is a great way to help identifiy species and brainstorm for that next project.

www.bellforestproducts.com

 

[JD1137]

That's pretty cool. Have not seen these for sale in the past. I have a pretty big collection that came from an estate.

 

[Big Ry]

"Acacia"...cause that really narrows it down lol

It is a cool idea, and I don't know of another hardwood dealer that does this. But I would feel more comfortable with the accuracy if it was coming from a long time IWCS member who wasn't also a hardwood dealer. I like Bell Forest. I think their wood is very high quality, but they don't come off as one of the more invested dealers when it comes to wood identification. I'd be more confident in the sample accuracy coming from Gilmer, for example. I know there is no standardization or verification process, so literally anyone could BS a name or make an honest mistake in identification. But I would think that would be less likely to occur with samples from Gary Green, XYLOS, or Mark.

I would also be more inclined to try buying Bell Forest samples if they weren't all such common species. I have wood matching every single one of those common names - some was even from Bell Forest. So it only makes sense to cut my own. And in fact, I've made it a point to try to source at least 3" wide stock for all new species I buy, just so I can cut a IWCS sample later on.

 

[2feathers Creative Making]

For some of us backwoods types, these have a decent number of woods that we may not have. But even for backwoods folks here in the usa, there are about a third of the samples that we could get from our firewood piles.

 

[Big Ry]

For some of us backwoods types, these have a decent number of woods that we may not have. But even for backwoods folks here in the usa, there are about a third of the samples that we could get from our firewood piles.

It could easily be 100% for you too. I mean you got the Internet and a mailing address, right? You could have all the same species as me

Ive literally visited a brick & mortar hardwood dealer a total of two times in my life - once at Domex hardwoods by me for some Holly and the second to visit Freestate timbers in Timonium MD when i was in the area doing a bridge inspection. Every single other piece of wood i own has been ordered online or bartered online.

In my case, the local places just generally don't make financial sense, which is why i mostly order online. I don't buy long boards over 47", so even with shipping it's still cheaper to order online most of the time (and many online dealers have a free shipping threshold anyway).