These are antique American Chestnut (Castanea dentata) pen blanks cut from a beam found in a Connecticut barn circa 1680-1720.

The wood is beautifully seasoned and hard, exhibiting an oxidized, toasted brown color, and super

tight grain structure. No checking or stress cracks, each hand cut and inspected personally. As with any piece of wood, they all differ slightly and are subject to subtle variation. Pictures posted are of the actual pieces for sale.

The beams were found stuffed into the eves behind a hay storage area,and they could be as old as

340 years. (1680)

The barn is located in Fairfield, Ct.,  (town established in 1639), and was on the grounds of an historic Saltbox house that I was involved with restoring in 1984, and the property is on the states Historical registry with a date of 1680.. Many of the beams and studs in the house and barn were hand hewn Chestnut, an important structural wood used throughout the 17th, 18th and 19th Century in New England. However, the species was devastated by Chestnut blight, a fungal disease that came from introduced chestnut trees from East Asia. It is estimated that between 3 and 4 BILLION American chestnut trees were destroyed in the first half of the 20th century by blight after its initial discovery in 1904. Very few mature specimens of the tree exist within its historical range,

Extremely RARE, unique, and very limited. each order will include 3 blanks,  3/4"x3/4"x5" @ $12.00

Finished sample shows from left to right: 1)Solvent lacquer, 2)Acquacoat  waterborne urethane (turned it yellow for some reason), 3)Garnet shellac, and 4)unfinished.