My Day at West Penn

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Bree

Bree

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Joined
Jun 19, 2009
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Location
Buffalo, NY
Drove down to Olean, NY and spent several hours at West Penn Hardwoods browsing, shopping, talking to Rocky Mehta... the owner... and his staff. What a great time!!

They are the nicest people and you can browse the warehouse to your heart's content... all day if you wish.

The wood??? SPECTACULAR... SIMPLY awesome selection of just about everything under the sun. And a huge selection of highly figured exotic woods like you have never seen before.

You can score the 2nd best woods in most species or blanks since they have a huge selection of blanks. Second best because I just cleaned them out of the very best stuff! LOL!!

If you saw what I brought home today... you would just drool with envy!! Seriously... They have so much primo wood it is impossible for one person to even make a dent in their supply of outstanding pen stock.

I urge those of you within striking distance to take a drive over and be prepared to spend several hours and a few shekels. My haul today included stunning Cocobolo, Highly figured Pink Ivory and Highly figured Redheart, Curly Redheart, Striped Ebony, Curly Pyinma, Curly Narra, Beeswing Narra, beautiful Guayacan, Curly Katalox, Australian Woody Pear, Australian Sheoak, wild figured Bocote, Cocobolo crotch wood, unbelievable EI Rosewood wildly figured and colored as well as a chysthanthemum vine!!

Check West Penn out in person if you can!! Tell Rocky that Bree sent you! (Not that this will score you any discounts!! LOL!)
:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:
 
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Bree I envy you being able to see it first hand. Ive bought on line from them and had a few crates dropped off in my driveway but since Im no where near NY Im out of luck. Congrats on the opportunity! and thanks for sharing.
 
Bree, I dont think my wife would be able to pull me out of there. I'd love to just walk around in there.

Probably make "sawdust" angels on the floor.
 
Just like a kid in a candy store! My wife has family in Rochester and we visit them a couple of times each year. On the return trip, we always detour through Olean and load up the vehicle. He certainly has some of the most amazing woods I have ever seen.
 
Closer than I realized

I never realized they were that close to me. Little over 2 hr drive. Thats the closest place I know that handles exotic wood. Might have to plan a day trip and check them out. Thanks
 
RDH79 said:
I never realized they were that close to me. Little over 2 hr drive. Thats the closest place I know that handles exotic wood. Might have to plan a day trip and check them out. Thanks
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Leave early and plan to stay late. Their new facility is HUGE. If you want lumber... bring a pickup truck for sure.

I just finished turning and sanding a Honduran Rosewood Burl pen that ultimately came from them. When you see it you won't believe it. The wood is incredible. It has two drops of tung oil drying right now and it goes to CA first thing in the AM. Then you all will get first look. I am so thrilled and it isn't even finished yet.
:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:
 
What pen...NO photo, dindt happen, we'll believe when we see! You are still lucky to have been there, did you get photos of the facility?

Bree said:
Leave early and plan to stay late. Their new facility is HUGE. If you want lumber... bring a pickup truck for sure.

I just finished turning and sanding a Honduran Rosewood Burl pen that ultimately came from them. When you see it you won't believe it. The wood is incredible. It has two drops of tung oil drying right now and it goes to CA first thing in the AM. Then you all will get first look. I am so thrilled and it isn't even finished yet.
:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:
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I would really like to get out that way eventually. I live in the same state and its still over 5 hours away (worse for others). Just a bit long for a day trip, especially considering how long I would probably stay there?

Is there a place to sleep - let's say somewhere between the Curly Redheart, and Curly Pyinma? I could make it an over-nighter!
 
Russianwolf said:
No pictures, didn't happen. :tongue:
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West Penn Wood Porn PIX V1

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:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:
 
Wood Porn from West Penn #2

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3" thick slab (3x8x8) of Guayacan... Genuine Lignum Vitae
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Curly Redheart bowl blank
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Striped Ebony
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Cocobolo 5/4 Lumber Board #1
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Cocobolo Lumber 5/4 Board #3
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Bocote Pen Blanks
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Curly Katalox blanks (bottom) Australian Woody Pear blanks(top)
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Australian Sheoak blanks
:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:
 
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WP Wood Porn #3

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Guayacan pen blanks
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Chrysanthemum (This will have to be stabilized. It is fibrous like a grass or bamboo.)

That's it folks. It really did happen! And it will happen for you... just amble on over there and shop shop shop til you drop! Now I have to get back to the shop to do something with all of this wood!
:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:
 
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I had the chance to stop there several months ago with my wife. Rocky toured us around the entire place. Really amazing. He says he's the largest wholesaler in the country. He knew all the local stores here in the Rochester area as he supplies all of them.
 
JimB said:
I had the chance to stop there several months ago with my wife. Rocky toured us around the entire place. Really amazing. He says he's the largest wholesaler in the country. He knew all the local stores here in the Rochester area as he supplies all of them.
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LOL! He found out that I am a webmaster at IBM so he wanted to talk about his website. I was giving him some advice on his site and pointed him to a high end wood site with some good web features. Rocky supplies the guy! LOL! But, being a good supplier doesn't mean he has the goods when it comes to websites. There he can use some improvement and he knows that.
:wink::wink::wink:
 
I try to stop in there when ever i am in olean and that is just about two or three times a week. If my wife would let me i would be in there every day! That is what i love about having someone who deals in wood like that in your back yard!
 
Wow!! I've never heard of them. Of course I don't live in NY either, but they sure look like they have alot of stuff. I've found a few hardwood shops and lumber yards close to me, but nothing quite like that.
Does anyone happen to know what size the pen blanks are that they sell on their website when it just says "pen blank 10 pack"? I assume it's probably 3/4 X 3/4 X 6?
 
glycerine said:
Wow!! I've never heard of them. Of course I don't live in NY either, but they sure look like they have alot of stuff. I've found a few hardwood shops and lumber yards close to me, but nothing quite like that.
Does anyone happen to know what size the pen blanks are that they sell on their website when it just says "pen blank 10 pack"? I assume it's probably 3/4 X 3/4 X 6?
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They sell different size blanks ranging from 5/8" to super jumbo's in excess of 1". I think most will be in the 3/4" - 1" range.
:wink::wink::wink:
 
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