100% Solid Hard Wood - - - 100% HandMade in the USA

ALL ABOUT WOOD

Most of the wood we use is domestic (USA) hardwood - primarially Oak, Walnut, Ash, Cherry, Maple and Hickory; though other types of wood are available. We occasionally use more exotic woods - but usually only as accents. And when we say Wood - we mean solid wood, not a wood vaneer or laminate over a 'wood product' or other material. Many websites identify an item as wood but never clarify exactly what type of wood it is (which makes a world of difference), or if it is solid wood or just an appliqué.

The majority of our items are left natural (with multiple coats of a very hard and durable polyurethane finish) with no stains or dyes - although we do have wood stains and dyes available. We also like to combine different types of wood - 'Multi-Wood' - for natural color variations and patterns. If a piece shown on the website has a stain or dye, it will specify this in the description. If it says a piece is Walnut - it is walnut. If it says it is Ash with a walnut stain - the actual wood is Ash. Many websites will lead you to believe the item is made out of a particular type of wood, when actually it is just the 'finish' that is applied . . . . more about wood

HANDCRAFTED WOOD CLOCKS

VanEss Expressions offers a variety of original, handmade wood desk, mantel & wall clocks, but we are woodworkers and not clock makers. Our wood clocks use clock components - either clock 'inserts' or clock 'movements' - most of which are battery powered. Some of these can also accommodate a pendulum movement.

Clock Insrts are complete units that are inserted into the wood and usually held by friction - used in desk, mantal & wall clocks. These come in a variety of sizes and designs and usually take 'N' or 'AA' batteries. Clock Movements work with separate hands, numbers, dots, etc. and are typically used with wall clocks because they need to be accessable from the back. The movement itself is held in a recess on the back with a rod going thru to the front to power the hands. These usually take larger batteries.

There are also clocks with mechanical movements - key-wound, and involve weights or springs (grandfather clocks, cuckoo clocks, etc). Although we have made wood clocks with both - these are not typically offered thru our website . . . . more about our original wood clocks

UNUSUAL WOOD VASES & WOOD BOWLS

Our wood bowls & vases are hand-turned on one of our three lathes. A lathe holds and spins a chunk of wood horizonally so that you can carve/sculpt the wood with cutting tools (very roughly similar to a potter's wheel where the clay spins and a vase is shaped vertically). A lathe spins much faster, and obviously the pile of wood chips on the floor can not be gathered and reused (as can the clay).

We classify our wood vases & bowls as either - single-wood, multi-wood or solid-stock. Single-wood and multi-wood are comprised of glued-up kiln-dried board lumber. Our 'Multi-Wood' vases are extremely popular. By combining different types of wood in a very precise manner, unique patterns of natural color are produced. As with all of our items - each vase is unique - no two are ever exactly the same.

Solid-stock is a term we use to identify vases or bowls that are turned from a solid piece (branch, truck, etc) of the whatever wood is noted. Some woodworkers turn solid-stock 'green', which means the wood still has a significant moisture content. There is always the chance that wood will crack as it dries, and vases & bowls that are turned Green have a better chance. We prefer to dry the wood prior to turning - this is a very time consuming process, but it reduces the chance of cracks later. . . . more about our hand-turned wood vases & bowls

DECORATIVE WOOD BOXES

VanEss Expression offers functional yet decorative wooden boxes for a variety of purposes: Jewelry boxes, Book boxes, Keepsake boxes, Cremation boxes, Display boxes - decorative wood boxes to hold all of your precious memories. We try to offer a variety sizes and styles on the website, though boxes for a specific purpose may need to be special ordered. Please Contact Us if you are looking for a particular size or function.

All of our decorative wood boxes have the distinctive 'box-joint' corners - similar to 'dovetail' but, because of their uniformity - we feel they are more attractive. End-grain, being more porous, shows darker than side or face grain. When using the same type of wood, these corners display a subtle pattern. When combining different, contrasting types of wood, these corners can be quite dramatic. Box-joints are structurally superior to butt and miter joints, besides being visually appealing. . . . more about our handmade decorative wood boxes

ORIGINAL WOOD HOLIDAY NUT BOWLS

VanEss Expressions offers a variety of original, vintage style wood Nut Bowls. Besides being a holiday tradition in many homes and a necessary item for holiday entertaining, wood nut bowls also make excellent Christmas gifts that will be appreciated year after year.

Our 'Standard' nut bowls run between 8" and 9½" across and are about 2½" high (not including the stem/handle). Our 'Large' nut bowls are around 3½" high. Both include 1 nutcracker & 2 picks. Our 'Party' nut bowls run 9 - 10½" across, 3½" high and comes with 2 nutcrackers & 4 picks. Each nut bowl has a stem/handle that rises from a center pedestal, which also conveniently holds the tools.

We try to keep a few Nut Bowls available throughout the year, then increase our inventory for the Christmas holiday season (September thru December). During that time, our inventory changes quite quickly; and although we try to keep a variety of sizes, styles and types of wood available - it's hard to keep up with the demand. . . . more about our handcrafted wood Christmas nut bowls

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