Finishing Methods
With the exception of a few woods, such as maple, cherry, olive and walnut, I do not apply a finishing material to the surface of the wood. By not applying a finish, there is nothing to crack, peel or transfer to your hands as you use your stick or ruler. Instead, I sand the surface of every stick or ruler so that it feels smooth to the touch.
Some woods that are very hard and have small pores can have their appearance and feel enhanced by additional finer sanding followed by several stages of polishing. The result is a smooth, glossy surface that looks and feels like it has been lacquered, but no finish is actually applied to the surface. I refer to this process as my "signature" finish since it is a surface preparation not found by other makers of sticks or rulers. Examples of woods that are enhanced by this treatement include ebonies, pau ferro and katalox.
While softer woods, and woods with large pores - such as mahogony, cedar and others - can be sanded very smooth, they are not enhanced by polishing and are not candidates for my "signature" finishing method.
I finish most of my sticks and rulers using my signature finish. However, any wood that I normally offer as a signature finish can, at your request, be made without the final polishing stages.
