Sunday 13 March 2011

Trees, planes and good friends








Recently, friends of mine purchased an unused plot of land adjoining their house and being keen gardeners they naturally wished to fully exploit the opportunities the new addition had to offer. While they were setting-out for a more ordered plantation, it became apparent that some unfortunate and ill placed false acacia (Robinia pseudoacacia, also known as Black locust)) trees would have to go. It was now that I received a phone call asking if these trees would be of any interest to me. Naturally, I was quick to reply; yes they would, but only if the trunks had enough girth. A preliminary trip was organised to select those trees which would yield workable timber and these were then marked with a B, so they could be identified and left by the woodman. Now it has to be said, Robinia in truth is not the best loved local tree, principally because it is not native to these parts and since being introduced has been over eager to colonise hedgerows and any vacant piece of land. Hence my opportunity, that’s not to say that the tree doesn't have qualities, it does have a number and these make it's timber prized in certain quarters. For example, it provides the fence post of choice, due to its high resistance to rot and this is probably now the premier commercial value derived from the tree. Personally, I have pulled a hundred or more year old post from the ground that was as sound as the day it was struck. It also makes a superb turnery wood, which when worked makes a dramatic display of colour and figure from its pronounced growth rings. Choice pieces can also be used in cabinet making, although it will rarely be found in a wood yard and usually falls into the furniture makers hands, like now, by accident.

The story doesn’t quite finish there, because while picking-up the Robinia trunks, my friends asked if I would be interested in some old planes they had discovered in an outhouse, they having no use for them. Well it would be a funny type of furniture maker that wasn’t interested in old planes so I went to have a look. Although on first appearances they appeared to be in poor condition, they were a bit more interesting than the usual smoother and jack plane that I was expecting, although these were also in evidence. Among the haul there was a very fine double iron tongue and grove plane made from Cormier and a rather nice small toothing plane also in Cormier. In addition there were some round soled planes and a few moulding planes, plus a metal jack plane that had been broken and re-welded, this has made the sole so out of truth that it is probably beyond help. Being made from Cormier, these planes would have been among the best and most expensive available in their day.
Cormier is the French name given to the Service Tree (Sorbus torminalis/domestica) this name was once thought to have derived from cervisia the Roman name for beer, of which they made a type from its berries. However, it’s now thought that the name originates from the old English syfre, a drink which was more of a liqueur, although the British did also make beer from the berries. Evelyn said that “ale and beer brewed from the berries when ripe, of the true Service Tree is an incomparable drink” The berries were also used effectively against all kinds of stomach problems including diarrhoea, dysentery and infections of the digestive tract.

My friends were taking down their unwanted Robinia trees that they may plant amongst others, some Service Trees. There is I feel something poetic about this coincidence, especially as there is a chance I may one day work the Robinia with those same planes that they gave me made from Cormier.

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