Rosy Days; Argentine Lignum Vitae

I’m absolutely in love with Argentine Lignum Vitae. A client asked for it as a possible wood choice, so I ordered two blanks. While there were 20 or so other woods in this shipment, when the box was opened the aroma of that one particular wood infused the entire box with a warm, rosy scent.

Turning it was a dream. The grain was close and tight. And the scent just grew and grew after each pass of the roughing tool. The color isn’t anything spectacular; a dark grassy green with brown undertones. However, sanding produced a light fluffy dust that scattered the incense worthy scent all over the garage. Three days later, and I’m still greeted by a wall of gorgeous ‘stink pretty’ when I open the shop.

Because of the density, the finished spindle emerged well balanced and hand polished to a nice luster. And even after a liberal coating of orange oil and beeswax, the scent still came through strong.

I decided this spindle would be perfect for my birthday gift to myself. Eager to try it out, I immediately put it to the task of helping me with some gorgeously fine baby llama. Carrying it around these three days has been an absolute pleasure. I find myself reaching into my project purse and running the spindle under my nose for tiny moments of instant olfactory pleasure.

So, while not the most visually stunning wood specimen, it has now become the most interesting and valued spindle in my growing collection.