Grubs in my briar

[Sasquatch]

It would in fact be unethical not to show the supplier. "This is what you're selling."

In fact, better yet, "This is what you're selling, and all my pipemaking buddies want to know where it's from so they can avoid it."

[Sasquatch]

Briar cutters know EXACTLY what they are selling. The guy selling wormy wood out of Greece knows it's wormy cuz I fuckin told him ages ago.

He must have not been at Chicago last year, then, or you woulda squished him like the bugs he sells.

You know, cuz you're a... Sas-squish.

Correct. I've never once found a bug or trail in Makis' wood. I did find a ruby inside one block, and he graciously told me to keep it in order to pay for the drill bit I wrecked.

[mightysmurf8201]

I've emailed the supplier to let them know about the issue. I also asked them what cutting mill they sourced it from. I'll let you all know when I get a reply.

[caskwith]

I have a pretty good idea who it is based on a friends experience.

[mightysmurf8201]

The briar is, in fact, from Greece. Amadeus to be exact. Is this the place where everyone else was having issues? The supplier claimed not to be aware that Amadeus briar had bugs.

[Sasquatch]

I've never seen it in Amadeus. Seen it in other.

I'm going to pass this thread to Makis, see what he has to say.

[Sasquatch]

There's also a possibilty, and I have no idea what the chances are, but could that be a local bug that got into your wood? Like, maybe a pine-borer or something?

[Sasquatch]

I just talked to Makis of Amadeus/Achaiki and he said he never gets complaints about bugs in his wood. This is born out in some 100 blocks I've now cut of his. I have not seen tracks of any kind.

Somebody has a contaminated supply, the question is, where did it get contaminated and when?

If the wood is boiled, that bug is dead. So he's introduced after the boil by poor storage methods or cross-contamination somehow. This is the kind of thing that governments freak the fuck out about by the way, why it can be SO sticky to get wood across even state lines let alone from another country.

[andrew]

Boiling would have killed that bug. I think you've got a hitchhiker on your hands... just not sure how long he's been along for the ride.

[Literaryworkshop]

I mill some of my own lumber for other woodworking projects, and I see bugs like that in fresh wood now and then. They get in under the bark if you leave the bark on the log too long, and they hang around digging tunnels for you to cuss at when you open the log up up. I've not seen them get into in dried, previously uninfected lumber before. Still, I would definitely isolate the remaining blocks from this supplier.

[mightysmurf8201]

The remaining blocks, only 4 left, aren't being made into pipes. I've already separated them. I'll save them for accent material or pen turning stock.

[acutabovebriar]

I would like to thank you all for making this issue public and I especially like to thank Sasquatch for letting me know something like this is going on.
If this is my wood and I have no reason to question that, then after me boiling it for 16 + hours, it would be impossible for any kind of bug to be still alive, let alone at a caterpillar stage and not fully developed.
The person that this wood was bought from IS my customer and his storage room might be the reason for something like this to attack the wood.
In my experience, in the last 22 years that I have been doing this work as a wood cutter and in my fathers experience and recollection we at the factory never had this problem with bugs in the wood hatching AFTER boiling!

Also wood carvers that I send wood to, in the USA, Canada and in Europe can verify that there has never been such a problem with my product. I know Zavvos has some issues but his wood is older than himself!!!

And now what I can do is replace the pieces with product from Greece, no between hands so we can minimize the possibility of something like this happening again. Please pm me you name and address as well as the kind( ebauchons or plateaux) of the pieces and I will send you new free of any charges.

BTW, I was in Chicago in 2013 and 2014 and Todd did not end me due to bad wood quality!!!

Please let me know..

[The Smoking Yeti]

I also have cut into a fair amount of Makis's briar, and I have never seen this issue. It has to be a middle-management issue! (aren't they all?)

[Nate]

I'll vouch for Makis' briar as well, top notch.

[scotties22]

It's all I've worked with for the past 6 months. Top notch to say the least!

[andrew]

I've never had an issue with Makis' briar. Consistent and high quality.

[Sasquatch]

I can't believe it's not butter.

[andrew]

That's me. Just minus the golden hair... muscles, accent, stunning jaw line, etc.

[andrew]

Excuse me... blonde highlights.

[wdteipen]

I've met Andrew and can vouch that he could be Fabio's twin.