This is one of those amazing Pacific Coast woods of Northern California, Oregon, Washington and Western Canada. One out of every hundred board feet of Soft Maple is good enough to call "Curly".
The curl in the wood flows throughout the wood and meanders without specific pattern. In the light, you can see the curl ripple through the wood. It is difficult to capture the "curl" with a photo; however, when you see and hold this cross, your mind tells you that the wood would feel wavy. Not true! It is smooth as can be. It is the "curl" that gives it this effect.
All of the maple woods are VERY soft to the touch. This particular wood even "looks" soft.
Do you know how woods gets "curly"? As the tree grows ... some years are dry … some years are very wet … some years are hot … some years are very cold. It all depends on the environment!
As with all of our crosses, there were no stains, lacquers or preservatives used to finish your cross; only a natural oil which is hand-rubbed and polished to enhance the woods natural beauty. When you hold our crosses, you are “feeling” the wood and “seeing” the wood as God created it. No two are alike as boards will vary in color and graining due the environmental conditions it was produced. The shine on the cross is related to the amount of “resin” in the make-up of the wood itself. The more resin the higher the shine.
Crosses are handcrafted in our Palestine, Texas (USA) facility offering the highest quality. Crosses do not require polishing. Holding your cross will allow the oils from your hands to go into the wood and create a soft, patina glow. Never use oil or olive oil on our crosses.
Price noted is for 1 HoldingCross. The picture of multiple crosses is to share with you the diversity of the wood.
Thoughts on Engraving : This wood works very well with engraving. Due to its tight grain, engraving comes out clear and precise. You might want to spend a few minutes and look at the Pre-Engraved HoldingCrosses. You will see examples of the following woods : Black Cherry, Black Walnut and Soft Maple. In this way, you can see the engraving and how it looks.
Each cross comes in an organza bag with a StoryTag telling the name of the wood and a StoryScroll which contains suggested prayers, CareGiving stories and other information. We do not offer seconds or damaged crosses. Our crosses are all first quality and handcrafted in our shop by our family.
NOTE : The HoldingCross watermark in the picture does not appear on the crosses. The picture is marked for proprietary reasons.
