Allen Ash

Ash is a light colored, smooth-grained hardwood that grows throughout the east coast and parts of Canada. With its typical straight grain and beige-to-light-brown hue, ash wood is a very attractive option for fine furniture. It’s one of the most durable varieties and has an extensive history in American furniture making. It is durable, lightweight, aesthetically pleasing, and absorbs wood stains well. Its characteristics as a lightweight and shock-resistant wood have made it a favorite for baseball bats, tool handles, and restaurant furniture. Today ash is making a splash in home furnishings, particularly in the mid-century modern style.

Some of the Ash that Salt Shaker Woodworks has in stock was purchased from a neighbor whom we named the wood after. Mr. Allen was a woodworker himself until health issues forced him to stop. Like me, Mr. Allen spent years gathering wood for use in his shop but needed to get rid of it since he could no longer make use of it. I bought all the stock he had, much of which was reclaimed like this ash that came from someone's yard where it had fallen come down. I was very fortunate to find Mr. Allen when I did. He had been trying to sell his stock for a while with no takers so he was on the verge of dumping or burning all of it.