I wonder if this wood would make good woodwinds, violins, acoustic guitars? Sure is pretty.
They say this particular batch is carbon-dated to 35,000 years. 
I’ll bet it’s really dense and stable. Must be really interesting to work with. I found other samples online for sale in blanks that are only 3000-4000 years old.
I’d be worried that it’d move a little bit after being finished. Probably should cure it for another 20000 years, then it might be stable.
Yeah, what was I thinkin’? :roll: 
Where did you see those blanks?
Looks like the wood has a lot of bark inclusions and flaws which would be pretty near fatal for a wooden whistle. However, if I could find a 1x1x12" piece, I’d be interested in trying this stuff.
I think Martin Doyle makes flutes in Swamp Kauri and other timbers native to New Zealand. Try searching the Kiwicelt Site.
Mike.
Here you go, Paul.
http://www.thewoodturnersstudio.co.nz/pages/KauriBlanks.htm
Let us know if you make a go of it. Could be interesting. 
I just sent them an inquiry about it. Thanks! And I thought the “salvage timber” Birdseye Maple I use was old… 
WOW! and of course you are going to keep us all posted paul…I want the first one 
berti
Yer welcome! 
I sure hope it works out, Paul. I think I feel a case of WhOA coming on. 
Someone else just asked me about this fascinating wood and sent me a different link: http://www.ancientwood.com/
I contacted them, and they can rip a 12" plank into the pieces I need, so I placed an order. I asked the guy there to personally check the piece for cracking and interesting grain, and he said that is not a problem. I’m pretty excited about this stuff.
that sounds promising…now you have got someone on the list
keep us posted, when you get it and what it is like to work with, if it has particular qualities interesting for us whistle players…
though a flute out of this stuff would be utterly beautiful too …anyone??
berti
I just got some Ancient Kauri. They cut 15" from a 12" plank for me and even ripped it into the 1x1 strips I need for whistles. Nice and straight, with no cracks.
I rough turned two pieces into cylinders, and at the moment, it’s not especially exciting looking-- a nice honey/brandy color. However, I’m told the real attraction of this wood becomes apparent when you fine sand it and apply the finish. There are supposedly a lot of interesting grain patterns that reflect light as you move the piece around.
and of course, it will be interesting what it SOUNDS like…
but pictures of the first turned tubings greatly appreciated after the fine sanding is done…
berti
Cool.
That’s really interesting.
How heavy and dense is it? Is it easy to work?
A pic would be nice
I saw some Redwood on ebay that looks similar to that. Although Redwood is considered a “softwood”, if you get it in tight grained or burl wood it can be quite dense.
I have a Hoover whistle that has a redwood barrel. It sounds very nice in D.
It’s not especially hard, like Blackwood or Mopane, nor is it really heavy. Seems pretty close to Maple. Hardness is a relative thing. Maple is still pretty hard stuff, but not compared to some of the exotics.
I’ve only worked it a little bit so far.
Wow! Now this is exciting! I can’t wait to see how it turns out. This is probably the first time that this has been done. I’m really glad you went through with it, Paul.
Best,
Paul
BTW, did they tell you how old the wood you got was? Just curious.
-Best
30 to 50 thousand years old (carbon dated), from trees approximately 1200 years old!!