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Gingko Zeta

Chillicamper

Registered
Joined
Jan 9, 2015
Posts
250
Location
Hampshire
First Name
David
It's my mum's birthday in a few days. Her favourite tree is the Gingko. So I've managed to get a small piece of Gingko wood. It felt quite soft, but doesn't seem to mark badly. It was really smooth to turn, similar to olive wood.

The grain doesn't look that spectacular, but the colour really glows in the sunlight.

 

qquake2k

Fellow
Joined
Sep 9, 2015
Posts
1,070
Location
Northern California
First Name
Jim
That is a beautiful pen! I'm a fan of subtle grain. Plus it will mean more to her, because it's from her favorite tree. I like that. Tell your mum happy birthday!
 

Jim

Grand Master
Joined
Oct 19, 2011
Posts
15,617
Never heard of the wood so it's a first for me David, but it looks good my friend .. :thumbs:
 

Chillicamper

Registered
Joined
Jan 9, 2015
Posts
250
Location
Hampshire
First Name
David
Never heard of the wood so it's a first for me David, but it looks good my friend .. :thumbs:

It's also known as the Maidenhair tree and is a 'living fossil', as it is the sole survivor of an ancient group of trees that date back to beyond the time of the dinosaurs. Ginkgo fossils are common in the rocks of the Jurassic and Cretaceous, but today Ginkgo biloba is the only member of its genus, which is the only genus in its family, which is the only family in its order, which is the only order in its subclass.

The Maidenhair tree remains virtually unchanged today and represents the only living bridge between 'higher' and 'lower' plants (between ferns and conifers). Maidenhair trees can be extremely long-lived, the oldest recorded individual being 3,500 years old. You can get fossils with exactly the same leaf as the tree you can by in the garden centre.

I think its an amazing tree, but have never tried turning it's timber until this weekend.
 

Penpal

Grand Master
Joined
May 26, 2013
Posts
25,340
Location
Canberra AUSTRALIA
First Name
Peter
Comes with a genealogy of tough survival that in itself makes it special beaut pen for your Mum. Sometimes hard to find that special something David..

Peter.
 

silver

General dogsbody
Executive Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2013
Posts
6,301
Location
Somewhere in Staffordshire,
First Name
Eamonn.
I like that a lot, neat and simple with a great heritage.

Never heard of it before, so a new one and excellent info on the wood as well.:thumbs:
 

AllenN

Fellow
Joined
May 20, 2013
Posts
2,242
Location
Lancaster, UK
First Name
Allen
A very nice pen and I am sure she will love it. Wish her a Happy Birthday. Useful information on the Ginko tree too, one learns something new every day.
 
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