Wood Engraving Blocks

Boxwood, Lemonwood, Pearwood, Maple

Blocks custom made to the exact size you require. I always make orders as promptly as possible, but please email me if you require your blocks by a certain date. Please contact me first before ordering Boxwood blocks.

Boxwood (Buxus Sempivirens). The traditional wood for engraving blocks, made from the slow growing Box tree. Used throughout the 19th century for trade engraving blocks because of its ability to hold fine detail and its durability. Due to the small diameter of the logs, Boxwood blocks usually require multiple jointed sections. Honey coloured, sometimes with grey flecks.

Lemonwood (Calycophyllum candidissimum, Degame. Sometimes called Castello Boxwood) This is not the wood of the lemon tree, but so called because of a pleasant citrus smell when the leaves are rubbed. More popular than boxwood because of its cost, lemonwood is an excellent engraving wood. Lemonwood is pale straw in colour with very even density and shares many of the properties of true boxwood. It comes in bigger sections than boxwood making it easier to construct large blocks.

Swiss Pearwood. For decades this was a favoured second-tier wood after Boxwood. Softer than both Box and Lemonwood, but still allowing for fine cutting. Pear is usually pale pink in colour and is especially good for larger blocks where cost is a factor.

Maple (Acer saccharum, Acer nigrum). American Hard Maple, used by American engravers for decades. Pale beige colour, and even in grain. Less dense than Lemonwood, making it easier to clear larger areas. All woods perform best with sharp tools, but this is especially the case with Maple.