March 12, 2006

In a recent telephone conversation with Mitch Talcove of Tropical Exotic Hardwoods we (AAW President Angelo Iafrate and Mitch) spoke about his involvement with the manufacture of the 20th Anniversary Bowl Gouges.

Mitch has a long tradition of logging and providing some of the finest timber from his sawmill in Mexico. With complete control over the selection process, sawing and shipping to his warehouse in Carlsbad, California, he is known for producing high quality material. In our case, figured Cocobolo. Mitch is proud of the fact that he has been importing legal timber from replanted forests for longer than the AAW has been in existence!

The production for the handle material was no easy task, explained Mitch. "First, the material was hand selected by Stuart Batty from a large inventory, and then the squares were placed in a vacuum kiln for approximately two weeks for drying." Mitch finds that there is less degrade in Cocobolo with this process than with a standard dehumidification kiln.

The two drying processes are different. In a normal kiln the timber is "stickered" which amounts to placing small pieces of wood between each piece to be dried. Warmed air is circulated to remove the moisture.

In a vacuum kiln the wood is stacked flat with heating blankets between each layer. No stickers are used. Once the process has started, moisture is sucked out at a lower drying temperature that accounts for less degrade. Drying wood in this matter is more labor intense and costs more, but the stock comes out beautifully!

This will be Tropical Exotic Hardwoods 20th trade-show with the AAW, which means Mitch, has participated in all of them to date.

The AAW is pleased Mitch was able to provide the Cocobolo for the handles to CryoSteel Engineering & Technology, Inc. for "The 20th Anniversary Jerry Glaser Signature Gouge".