Pear
Pear is a furniture-maker's secret weapon — the most refined of the European fruitwoods, with a fine texture that allows nearly invisible joinery and crisp carved detail. It's expensive and small because it comes from orchard trees, not forests. If you're making marquetry, turned objects, or furniture with delicate carved elements, pear rewards the extra investment.
- Expecting wide boards — pear trees are small; boards over 4–5 inches wide are rare and command a premium
- Rushing the drying — pear's very high shrinkage (11.3% tangential) means it will check aggressively if not dried very slowly
- Overlooking it for musical instrument parts — pear is used for recorders, bagpipe chanters, and bow frogs precisely because of its fine, predictable texture
Uniform pale pinkish-brown to tan. Subtle and refined — no wild figure, just quiet elegance. Darkens slightly with age and UV exposure.
A delight to work — fine, uniform texture cuts cleanly in any direction and holds exceptional detail. Prized for carving and turning small pieces. Very high shrinkage means drying must be done with extreme care; available only in small dimensions from orchard trees.
| Region | Availability |
|---|---|
| North America | Specialty importers only |
| Europe | Regional / select dealers |
| South America | Specialty importers only |
| Southeast Asia | Specialty importers only |
| Africa / Middle East | Specialty importers only |
| Australia / NZ | Specialty importers only |