Stabilized wood, various types
These pieces on this page have all been resin impregnated under high vaccum, sometimes there were additional steps also. Some woods, such as rosewoods or other oily woods have to undergo other steps to allow good penetration of the plastic resin. Some providers don't take these extra steps, which can result in just getting the outer 1/4 inch stabilized instead of the whole piece. Note that some also claim that they have stabilized wood types such as snakewood or desert ironwood. This might be possible with some methods, but since there is so little empty space in these dense woods my opinion is that the actual stabilizing effect on the wood is minimal.
It is relatively expensive to create stabilized pieces, and most applications work great without using stabilization. But for certain unstable wood types, and also for some uses like pieces that will be subjected to sun, handling or weather, stabilization is the way to go. We have to cut every piece oversize, the process then warps the pieces due to the pressure involved, and the piece is reduced in size to make the pieces you see. So it takes extra wood, shipping to the stabilizer and shipping back, as well as paying for the resin work itself. This is what creates the extra cost. IN MOST CASES, STABILIZATION COSTS MORE THAN THE WOOD ITSELF. Many feel it is worth it to get greater ease of working as well as a piece which can stand up to more difficult wear, like knife handles or pens.
NOTE: NOT EVERY STABILIZED WOOD IS ON THIS PAGE, GO TO THE PEN BLANK PAGE FOR PEN BLANKS AND SEE THE ONES MARKED AS STABILIZED. ALSO, BOXELDER, AMBOYNA BURL AND BUCKEYE BURL HAVE THEIR OWN PAGES. THE FIGURED VARIOUS PAGE SOMETIMES ALSO HAS STABILIZED PIECES. SOMETIMES YOU WILL FIND PEN BLANKS HERE TOO IF THEY ARE NOT A STOCK OFFERING BUT A SHORT TERM ONE.
FOR NON-STABILIZED WOODS AT REGULAR PRICES, USE THE LINKS DOWN THE LEFT OF THE PAGE.
Check for other stabilized types here: 
