African Osage - Standard Pen Blank

African Osage (Maclura africana) is similar to the North American Osage Orange (same genus, different species) and is also known as Thorny Mulberry.
 
The timber is much like Osage Orange except maybe a little paler - a pale yellow when freshly cut but will turn a mid-orange/brown with age. The colour can be preserved to some extent through the use of UV-absorbing finishes such as melamine lacquers, but some change should be expected.
 
The wood is particularly dense and needs sharp tools to turn, but it does turn well, with little break-out and clean edges. It can be polished to a high shine but can also look good with a buffed wax finish.