World of Wood (WoW)

The bi-monthly IWCS magazine, World of Wood (WOW), is an outstanding source of data on woods of the world as well as a chronicle of the activities of the IWCS. WOW has been the main vehicle of communication among members of IWCS since its beginning in 1947. Most articles are written by members, and they provide information and stories on trees, wood, wood collecting, collecting adventures and wood crafting.

The WoW journal is available for viewing and downloaded in the Members Only World of Wood section of the website.

If you can’t read the PDF forms, Download Acrobat Reader

Each issue has a number of regular sections including:

• A message from the IWCS President
• Wood Samplings and A Favorite Wood – Articles about wood and trees from around the world
• Collector’s Corner – Stories of wood collecting adventures from around the world
• “Exploring……….”, an exciting new series by IWCS members on various wood related topics
• From the Workbench – Articles on wood crafting techniques, interests and projects
• Growth Rings – Articles from over sixty years of back issues of WOW; & their current relevance
• Wood Meets – Listings and details of the meetings held regionally and internationally
• Society News – Announcements and decisions affecting the organization
• Regis-Tree – Announcement of members who have joined since the prior issue
• Member Listings and Requests – regarding wood, wood specimens or other items wanted or for sale
• Australian Woods – Describes selected native trees and shrubs, its identification and information on the wood of each species
• Shrubwoods of the World – characteristics of shrubs and their sometimes colorful and interesting wood.
• Wood Fuel – its variety, its possibilities and its use.
• African Trees and Wood – Describes native trees, their identification and information on the wood of each.

Each issue of WOW contains a wealth of information on wood from around the world, beautiful examples of items crafted by members, plus much information and advice on crafting. Frequently there are articles about trees and forests. Some IWCS members travel to different areas of the world collecting craft-able quantities of woods directly from the forest. Their adventures make for some of the most interesting articles. In addition, the annual meeting is covered in depth, and there is a list of upcoming regional and international meetings. WOW covers a wide range of interests and is reference material worth keeping for a lifetime.

Materials for publication may be educational, scientific, technical, or of general interest to the membership and relevant to the purposes of the Society. Please direct all submissions, and questions for the World of Wood to the editor.

Other Publications

Highland’s Newsletter: Highland Woodworking began sending out to its customers a product-oriented newsletter called “Wood News” which featured articles on woodworking tips, hand tool techniques and woodworking updates. In June of 2005, Highland Hardware began publishing Wood News Online, a monthly electronic newsletter. Highland customers who’ve subscribed receive Wood News Online every month via e-mail. Each issue features articles about new woodworking tools, techniques, customers’ workshops, books, events and other tips of interest to woodworkers. Highlandwoodworking.com illustrates a comprehensive selection of woodworking products, woodworking hand tools and power tools, the Highland’s website offers a huge resource of free woodworking tips and information. 02/26/2024

Subscribe to Woodnews at Highland Woodworking

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Southern African Wood: ISBN 781920217587, now available, Briza Publications, Pretoria, RSA), authored by IWCS members Stephanie Dyer (#9380), Danielle James and Barry James (#9381).

It is a fully illustrated guide to the properties and uses of wood from 140 Southern African tree species. A handful of leather-bound collector’s editions remain for $140.00 US dollars plus shipping and handling, and the standard hard cover books are $46.60 US dollars plus shipping and handling. These are discounted 20% for IWCS members. Non-members will be charged $168.50 + S&H for the collector’s edition and $57.57 + S&H for the standard. Each copy will be signed by the authors. All copies will be shipped from Pennsylvania, USA. Reserve your copy today by contacting our Northeast Regional Trustee, Mark R. Peet. E-mail: [email protected] Posted 02-26-2024

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A Splintered History of Wood: Belt Sander Races, Blind Woodworkers and Baseball Bats by Spike Carlsen

A Splintered History of Wood: Belt Sander Races, Blind Woodworkers and Baseball Bats, now available through HarperCollins. It’s a collection of 55 stories that revolve around the unusual or unexpected uses of wood throughout history. It includes segments on the extraordinary Stradivari violins, the ill-fated Spruce Goose, an interview with Jimmy Carter, 50,000 year old wood, Sarah Winchester’s 36 year long “spooky” remodeling project, the world’s greatest wood carver, blind woodworkers, modern day bowyers and barrel makers, the world’s most expensive woods and more. Best of all it contains a segment on wood collecting featuring several IWCS members.

Order online at: Amazon.com.

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“Elsevier’s Dictionary of Trees” Volume 1: North America by Dr. Miroslav M. Grandtner

This dictionary will present all currently accepted generic, specific, sub-specific and variety names of trees, excluding fossil and more recently extinct taxa, hybrids and cultivars. Only the indigenous trees of a continent, those wild species that were natural elements of the spontaneous forest vegetation before the arrival of Europeans or other colonizers, are included. Each generic entry includes the family to which it is assigned, the synonyms of the Latin name, and the English, French, Spanish, trade and other names. For the English and French names, the standard name is listed first, followed by other available names with, in parentheses, the countries where they are used. Where appropriate, names in additional languages are also included. Each infrageneric (species, subspecies, variety) entry includes, in addition, the distribution, height, type of foliage, ecological characteristics and main uses of the tree when available. In this volume only taxa indigenous on the North American continent are included, considered in a geographical, not in a political sense. This means from Alaska and Greenland to Panama, including Caribbean, but excluding Hawaii.

A copy of this book was donated to IWCS by Sandra Szczygiel, a fairly new member from Canada.

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A Guide for Developing A Wood Collection

In a conversational tone, this Guide explains how to get started in wood collecting and how to develop and maintain your collection. Written by International Wood Collectors Society (IWCS) members Samuel H. Lamb and Alan B. Curtis and published by the Forest Products Society for the IWCS, this informative Guide has been revised and expanded since its original printing in 1976. Whether your collection is wood specimens or crafted items, the Guide offers practical information and advice. Subjects covered include: Kinds of Wood, Types of Collections, How to Build a Collection, Accurately Identifying Your Collection, Protecting Your Collection, How Large Can a Collection Grow, Wood Collecting Organizations, Storing a Collection, Donating Your Collection, and Enjoying Collecting with Others. Color photographs of crafted items and wood specimens are also included. The extensive section of recommended references points out the best information sources on herbarium specimens, nomenclature, on-line databases, periodicals, tree identification, wood anatomy, wood collections, wood identification, wood properties and uses, and wood technology. This collector’s Guide is appropriate for a beginner or a seasoned expert.

Order A Guide For Developing a Wood Collection directly from The Forest Products Society.

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Australian Trees and Shrubs – common, local and scientific names

Published by the International Wood Collectors Society in 2006, this is a second and revised edition. This is an extensive compilation of over 5,700 entries, of every known name for some 4,450 species of trees and woody plants in Australia. All entries are cross-referenced. There is also a section on “Toxic Australian and Imported Wood.” and an extensive bibliography. Softcover, 90 pages.

E-mail: [email protected] for orders, and for price and shipping to other countries.

Canada and USA, USD $13.00 includes shipping

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A Guide to More Useful Woods of the WorldEdited by James H. Flynn, Jr.
Copyright 2007, 6 by 9 softcover, 376 pages.

Includes:

• 71 additional wood data sheets (WDS) bringing the total of published WDSs to 350,
• 2 comprehensive indexes, and
• 14 articles from highly respected professionals in wood-related matters: Richard Crow, Alan B. Curtis, Mihaly Czako PhD, Eugene Dimitriadis, Robert Goldsack, Ernie Ives, Siegfried Klotsche, and Regis Miller.

“A Man of the Woods” Experiences collecting 7,000 woods of the world
by Richard Crow

Richard Crow takes you on a charming journey to discover how it is that one man’s business and hobby could develop into the singular greatest individual wood collection in the world. This book is for everyone who enjoys the love of collecting or simply a wonderful story laced with historical anecdotes.

Order these 2 books from Dennis Wilson. Email him for ordering instructions: [email protected]

Useful Woods of the World –  $7 + postage of $4.00
A Man of the Woods (Richard Crow biography) – $7 + postage of $4.00

Both books are a total of – $14 plus postage of $5.50.