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Funny how things happen. I have two clients, different clients, that both have Holly trees in their landscapes they would like removed. One of the trees has ATLEAST 8 feet of clear trunk and is about 14 inches in diameter. The other is smaller, about 4 ft of clear trunk and about 8 inches in diameter.

Anyone know what the potential value per yielded and dried bd/ft is? Are there any known problems with drying? After the storm passes I am scheduling the removal of these trees.

Thanks!
Chris

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There is no difference between the man that thinks he can....and the man that thinks he cannot.

Holly is reputed to be very difficult to dry, warping and twisting a lot. Good luck!

Lute/early instrument builders like it (for imitation ivory)

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Here is what a Parlor Guitar is for!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEa8PkjO6_I

Todd - how did it bend as binding stock? I really don't think I could get anything out of this beyond binding material, headstock veneers, rosette material,...stuff like that.

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There is no difference between the man that thinks he can....and the man that thinks he cannot.

It bends like rubber, you barely need heat to bend it.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

It turns grey pretty easy, I somewhere read a way to prevent this, but can't recall what it was.

It makes great bindings. White without resorting to plastic.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

does anyone know what a set of holly bindings is worth? I really don't want to go thru the steps required to make this stuff desirable if it's not a sought after lumber as lumber relates to guitar making.

...and thanks a bunch for the input so far.

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There is no difference between the man that thinks he can....and the man that thinks he cannot.

I've harvested a few Holly trees over the last 3 years, so far no problems with warping, twisting, etc. It is all still stickered though and will be at leat another year until I use any of it. Supposedly most stained binding (i.e herringbone) is holly. Way too soft for anything luthier related other than binding.

hi sniggly
this is what we’d do wth it round these parts

yup it's a bagpipe chanter. (Uilleann) there's plenty o' makers.
in the US who might want it if seasoned right and the quality good.
Start here -
http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewforum.php?forum=6&210
yours Geordie

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http://www.myspace.com/geordieadams

I can't imagine it is worth more than $5 a stick on the super high side.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

"...$6 dollars a bd/ft for holly?"

The local woodcraft here has a few boards....they are $29 dollars a bd/ft. Not kidding.

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There is no difference between the man that thinks he can....and the man that thinks he cannot.

I get alot of classical makers and lute builders wanting holly and i get my stock from scotland.
i wont tell the price i get for but $6 a b/f sounds about right.
the problems i have with it is yes it does warp twist and split when drying (i buy air dried stock) and it suffers greatly from big ol knots and even the clear areas have pin knots.

out of the lumber i buy only 1 third gets used for guitars (the rest is scrap) then it gets cut into bindings and head veneers and every binding strip is then checked for pin knots(a bloody booring job i might add).
i hate to discard the ones with pin knots so these are sold as seconds to lute,banjo,uke etc makers who dont need as long strips.

The point i am making is that is usualy full of knots.
it also can go grey when drying which is unpleasent.
apart from that it is very stable once dry (in fact gibson used to use for mandolin necks) and has a supurbe fine texture and bends like a dream.
If it wasent so wastfull the bindings and head veneers would be dirt cheap but it is a nice wood if you can get past the its negatives.

Its not a comercial timber here becouse of the fact it has to many knots but if you need white binding nothing is quite as stricking.
I think your native american holly is not as wastfull as the stock we get here so you may get a better yeild i thats the case then its a lovely wood (denser that you might think too)

Joel.

Thanks to all of you....as Yoda would say...

"A big help you were!!"

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There is no difference between the man that thinks he can....and the man that thinks he cannot.