Thread: Where can I get Black Palm?

It's illegal to harvest black palm in Australia so whatever you get will need to be imported.

Black palm is very hard to get especially in relatively large sizes like that. Try Coconut, very similar end result, and plenty around. Other similar ones available are Foxtail Palm or Red Palm.

I have often seen pen blanks sold as Black Palm, but look more like coconut and red palm , definitely not black palm

Thanks for the replies and alternatives. I will check them out and see how they stabilize.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Send me a PM and I will send you, for the postage cost or a swap for another timber, a very common palm timber which is not black palm or any threatened or protected species for evaluation as knife scales - I have two "stumps" that I will try to recover a 25mm thick book match pair for you. Several woodies in FNQ probably have limited stocks of Black Palm in 25 mm thick stock but a useable 50 x 50 block is a very rare size to obtain from most (all?) "available" FNQ palms.

Sierra blanks.jpg

The "stripped" blanks are the palm I'm offering. The others are a mix of beefwood, compression wood QLD Maple, Hairy Oak, plus Ebony, New Guinea Rosewood (from TGCreations). Unfortunately there is not a lot of useable "timber" in most domestically i.e. fast growing palms unless it is a specimen that has struggled. Mostly any useable wood comes from just above the "root ball" and is generally only a ring of approx 25 - 30 mm thick surrounding the pithy centre.

As a matter of interest

Harvesting wild specimens of Normanbya normanbyi is typically illegal because they are mostly in or near “protected areas” as some may also be protected under Sustainability & Planning Act provisions. With the above caveat, collection, use & sale of urban salvage wood & items produced is not illegal to my knowledge - “a person, other than an authorised person, must not take a protected plant that is in the wild unless the plant is taken under …” & “a person, other than an authorised person, must not use a protected plant, other than under …“ & “all protected plants (other than protected plants on private land) are the property of the State.” Nature Conservation Act 1992 (Current as at 9 May 2014).

Normanbya normanbyi is not CITES listed & it is "Classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List" & was, but not now, under the Nature Conservation Act & Regs. It was listed as Vulnerable in the Nature Conservation Regulation 1994 and is not listed under any category in the <st1:stockticker>NCR</st1:stockticker>2006. “Normanbya normanbyi” & “Black Palm” are not in any schedule in the <st1:stockticker>NCR</st1:stockticker>2006. Its very close almost identical twin Wodyetia bifurcata is listed as a protected plant & as Vulnerable (Schedule 3 Part 2) in both – so be very careful with ID.

Australian Black palm is a single species Normanbya normanbyi, and only grows in the wild in limited ranges around FNQ typically the Daintree & Kuranda areas (and others) which generally are totally protected World Heritage listed areas and are protected under the Nature Conservation Act etc. http://www.pacsoa.org.au/wiki/Normanbya_normanbyi has some nice images of the palm.

Using and selling Black Palm (Normanbya normanbyi) is not illegal, nor is exporting it. Taking it from protected areas certainly is illegal with very onerous penalties. Obtaining Black Palm from urban salvage is not illegal and should in my opinion be availed of when the opportunity arises to lessen the threat to wild populations. There are however plenty grown in rural, urban & suburban areas that are not in listed areas however I don't think too many people would cut them out for the limited timber they produce.

There are several Australian native and domestic / exotic palms which are commonly grown and have much potential in specialist applications such as knife scales.

Wodyetia bifurcata or the Foxtail palm is one such palm that is now very common, almost to becoming a pest species in limited areas, even though it is technically a “protected plant.” It was and still is highly threatened in is original limited range at Cape Mellville. This palm is still listed as "vunerable" even though it is widely grown in North America as well. The Foxtail palm story is a rare case of where commercial exploitation of seeds before the Cape Mellville area was listed as a National Park and illegal harvesting after its listing have actually preserved the species by vastly extending its range. Had the exploitation been for timber it would be an entirely different outcome & the species would probably now be extinct in its natural range.

[QUOTE=Mobyturns;1782757]

QLD Maple, Hairy Oak, plus Ebony, New Guinea Rosewood (from TGCreations).These too will become unobtainable in time...MM

Cocos palm and bangalow palm might also work - both are readily available, at least around here. The base of the trunk (up to 1m from the ground) is the densest and most usable part of the tree.

Pic below of a bowl made from Cocos Palm

Jeff

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jeff-...1974235558503?

Contact Trend Timbers
I bought a length from them a while ago

http://www.trendtimbers.com.au/

[QUOTE=MAPLEMAN;1782776]

Originally Posted by Mobyturns

QLD Maple, Hairy Oak, plus Ebony, New Guinea Rosewood (from TGCreations).These too will become unobtainable in time...MM

Unfortunately yes they will. Thankfully we have fellows like you who specialize in salvaging overlooked but valuable timbers. At least we can value add with the rarer timbers and maximize return with small turnings. One thing for sure those few ebony blanks will be used very wisely.

Thanks for all the replies, I have sourced some different palms from some generous forum members.

I also have a few bits of ebony that I am hoarding for something a bit special!

Originally Posted by ogato

Cocos palm and bangalow palm might also work - both are readily available, at least around here. The base of the trunk (up to 1m from the ground) is the densest and most usable part of the tree.

Pic below of a bowl made from Cocos Palm

Jeff

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jeff-...1974235558503?

Bangalow (Archontophoenix cunninghamiana) and Alexander (Archontophoenix alexandrae) palms are closely related and do not have much if any useable "wood" in my experience but possibly could be used after stabilization. Cocos palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana) has been sold as "Red Palm" and is certainly worth pursuing. It is now treated as a weed in FNQ due to its seed being spread by flying foxes and it prolific germination.

Coconut is already widely used for its timber; Red Neck Palm (Dypsis lastelliana), Triangle Palm (Dypsis decaryi), Fiji Fan Palm (Pritchardia pacifica) are also worth looking at.

The single biggest issue with all palms is the fact that the densest wood is near the outer rim and the softest at the center with the density changing rapidly from the rim towards the center. The section just above the root ball has the most potential.

Bangalow is definately worth having a look at - usable for sure, similar to Cocos in many respects.

Jeff

Originally Posted by ogato

Bangalow is definately worth having a look at - usable for sure, similar to Cocos in many respects.

Jeff

Jeff maybe they grow to fast in FNQ? The specimens I have received wood from were nowhere near as solid as what you appear to have. I regret not keeping the Queen Palm wood when we removed it several years ago. I'm tempted to take out many of the palms we have growing. Two Fiji Fan palms are near 16-18m now and the trunks have a nice solid sound to them.

Matt your mailbox is full so I can't send you a PM. I managed to get on the BS today and on Monday I will post down some blanks approx 45 x 20 x 250-300mm in size.

Thanks Mobyturns, appreciated.