Have you ever walked through a forest and marveled at the beauty of it all the green heaven, the rustle of fallen leaves, the whisper of the wind, the birds in the branches and the wonderful majesty of the trees. That beauty can be transferred to the objects made from the wood of those very trees mahogany furniture, cedar toys, rosewood jewelry boxes, teak decks on ships, ebony carved statues
Throughout the ages, wood has been a raw material. The first peoples made shelters using wood and animal skins. The first tools were made of wood and the first hunting spears were wooden. Dating back to Neolithic times, bowls and plates carved from wood have been found, as have wooden idols. In some Egyptian tombs, ancient wooden chairs have been preserved. And in some cultures, coffins were carved from the trunks of trees.
In this country, the Native American tepees we made on a wood frame, and their canoes were, at first, hollowed out tree trunks. Later, some built a lightweight wooden frame, probably of cedar, covered with bark sewn together with tree roots, and sealed with a mixture of sap and fats. Of course, the paddles were made of wood.
Some of the most...