The Value In Spalted Wood

#1202 XXXL Spalted Pecan Yarn Bowl Set with Star Groove & Bonus Cup Hub

Spalted Wood Makes Beautiful Yarn Bowls; but what makes spalting in wood so special to wood enthusiasts? Spalting is the beginning of decay in wood due to natural invasion of fungal spores. These spores start colonies and grow in the wood forming interesting discolorations as the wood fibers begin to decay. If caught at the right time and stabilized, spalting can result in various stunning effects; enhancing the value of the piece.

'Getting spalted (wood) is like ‘finding truffles in the forest’.
–J. Hicks, Woodshopnews.com

Some spalting forms  "zone lines" –sharply defined black lines, often called "black-line spalting". Zone lines may appear as single or double lines. This is the result of the spore colonies creating a protective barrier either around themselves (single-line spalting) or in what is basically a "war" with a neighboring colony (double-line spalting).

In some trees, such as oak or maple, spalting is rarely black-line often resulting in vague, amorphous, blotchy black or dark-gray areas. On rare occasions, spalting may cause colorful changes other than black. ​​

When nature gifts Bob with an interesting piece of wood that nature has spalted, it makes a rare and particulary beautiful yarn bowl. He usually sets these specimens aside for up to a year to encourage more spalting. Then, when his wood supply is depleted and with no fresh wood on the horizon, Bob will turn 2-4 highly spalted  bowls at one time. Once these uncommon yarn bowls are finished, the spalting process stops, embedding artful designs into the wood.

XL Spalted Pecan Yarn Bowl #1186

These rare offerings are usually snapped up quickly by collectors! So, on the rare occasions we list a couple spalted bowls at one time; it's a clue that Bob's wood is in short supply!

For more on spalting, please visit:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spalting
https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/spalted-wood-trend