Bird number: 116
Date: November 19, 2012
Wood: Satinwood (likely Zanthoxylum flavum or Chloroxylon swietenia)
Source: Woodcraft store

I don’t know what kind of “Satinwood” I have here. I suppose that by now I should know better than to trust common names. But at the time I bought the wood I had no idea that there were multiple species called “Satinwood,” most of which are not closely related to the others.

Whatever it is, the look does indeed resemble satin.

Those lighter streaks really aren’t mistakes in finishing, or dust that got on the carving. They’re in the wood. The picture does not capture the reflective sheen that makes it look like the woven fabric.

Not that there aren’t finishing mistakes. I noticed while taking pictures that I left some scratches in the wood. The interlocked grain and that natural sheen hide small scratches very well. Looking more closely at the figure, I can see many areas where I should have done quite a bit more sanding. At least, that’s what it looks like. Sometimes. Other times, those “scratches” seem to blend in like they’re part of the grain. It’s an odd effect.