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[QUOTE=Hesh] From the pictures they look larger then horses is this true?
[/QUOTE]

Quite. A juvenile moose is about the size of a horse. A full grown horse next to a bull moose looks like a pony. They are -fast- too when they decide to start trucking, I've personally seen one going near 50KPH (30MPH).

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Bob Garrish
Former Canonized Purveyor of Fine CNC Luthier Services

NOW that is funny. Just as good as the Dolly LLama
Funny Guys
Thats one way of giving a moose a face
mario
 

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Mario
my apologies for stating that your forum was a pay forum - it was when I joined and when I had my year membership come up - it was still..
and as I said you kindly waived the fee at that time...
Youll get piles more members now that it is open membership, even though the members you had before it was open were awesome!
Mabye you can get sponsors like the OLF here, (if you dont already)
I guess I been away for a while, (didnt think it was that long) I had better come back and check up on all the threads Ive missed.
Cheers
Charlie

Mario welcome...and thanks for the lesson in how your nomenclature works. I had no idea, but it does make sense now. Hope you'll stick around.

Bill

Grumpy: Really, moose sausage? Do you make this yourself? Uh, moosage?

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Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

Mario,

Glad you could stop by. I am pleased to hear that the "sabres will be dropped". It can only get better in many respects from here!

Thanks





Here are my "Camels" (as my old German friend calls them). I have not used them to pack wood yet. You are supposed to only pack up to 1/3 of their body weight and the big guy, Falco, probably weighs 300 pounds. So realistically they should probably pack 75 to 100 pounds max. I am with Mario, ATV's would be the first mode of choice if any distance to haul was needed. My Dolly Llamas (nice one Hesh! ) are mainly to protect our chickens from coyotes and to look at....they are FUNNY!! Wait until I show you pics of them shaved in the summer...HILARIOUS!!

Anyway, they are from left to right, Falco, Magic and Rock Star (Rocky).

Shane

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Canada

Thanks  Bill and Charlie
Tell you what I would be glad to  offer support over here
Even exchange links with our humble forums and sites. We offer our hand in friendship to this fine forum and the great group that runs this luthier haven if they so desire. Yes we all sell wood or media products but in the end its about the luthiers and the craftsmanship used to make world class instruments. Forums and such are venues to show case the masters and assist newbies in that venture. Its a gathering place to meet other of like minds.
I said before there is no bad blood here on my part.
Lets get together and work for cause of this craft.
After all thats what its all about.
Merry Christmas
mario

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Shane is Rock Star a gelding. My Stud Zar was a nightmare to deal with
he has a temper and even attacks the horse when he is in rut.
Studs are very very hard to deal with. At least my Nightmare is. And yes your right on the payload  NO wonder Rupert Complained a lot.
mario

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All three were studs until a few weeks and then we had Falco and Magic gelded. We kept Rocky intact and are planning on a female for next year so the kids can have some baby llamas to 4H with. Before we gelded the other two it was constant fighting in the pen. But now it is quite calm. I shift before fields every day right now as I am building them a barn and have the gates open while I am doing that. If they are separated they go through instant separation anxiety...too funny!

When llamas are young they are best left with their mothers, you can hang around a bit but if they imprint on you as they grow they will become harder to deal with. Our guys can be quite aggressive to each other but once we have a hold of them they are a dream to deal with. But if they think you are one of them (or they are one of you) then they will try to push you around. This is know as "berserk male syndrome", caused by imprinting on humans when young. This condition is not just a llama thing and can happen with any large mammal.

Shane

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Canada

Remind me not to buy the llama nuts at the next swap meet

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GregH
Fot Wuth

Yep Crazy Llama been there done that
and the llama won. They can kill a dog or wolf by running it down and then dropping on it with their knees bent.
Those animals are a huge creatures when they go up on their hind legs
and drop 300 pound of Ouch.
mario

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Wow, makes me wonder how Mario and Shane ever had a rift...they have so much in common....good wood, Llamas..... hey thanks for the pleasant discourse you two, and your willingness to patch things up. I hope you become best of buds down the road. You never know. Seems to me like you guys could even work together profitably...well, whatever.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Glad to see this thread cleared the air a bit.

Mario, I think I have become familiar with how you name the different bits of wood, and understand why you name them in such a fashion. Probably the one biggest point of confusion for me was trying to figure out if something was Englemann, Sitka, Western Red Cedar, Lutz. I finally got the idea that if it was anything other than Lutz, you would call it out as Sitka,Englemann or what have you. I think most people would understand more quickly what it is you are offering if you really make sure to point out when you call it Curly, Fuzzy, Mutant, and so forth Bear or Wonderwood, Iron, white gold, White and so forth Spruce. That it is Lutzi. That is probably the one major hurdle that people who have not figured your naming scheme out face. Since just about everyone outside of the circle of people who have bought from you refer to it as Lutz, adding that bit of information would really break down the gap in communication, and would probably also allow the names you have given the different variations of Lutz (which are actually pretty handy, because they are unique and consistent) to be more understood.

I really like the woods you sell, but I can't use your names to discuss the wood with other builders. At least if I do they have no clue as to what I am talking about, until I say "it is Lutz".

Peace,Rich

Yes Fry  all our wood unless other wise stated is lutzii.
It is harvested in only the Green area in the picture below.
Outside the Green area is the coastal forest and that is not Lutzzi.





The kermodie names let me know which tree it came from. So a furry bear is a top set that was cut from tree # 2 of cutting permit 70203.
here are some examples of the 70203 # 2



This is a Furry bear guitar made for me by Cumpiano
notice the tight shot of the finish that is furry bear and notice our its real Kermodie Guitar Logo






The number thing got really confusing so I started giving each tree a simple name so I could repeat the exact wood for customers.
This is a leopard claw Top set
See the spots and claw marks

And this is the Curlybear Tree This tree has Horizontal Curl



Here is the Iron Spruce Notice the Vertical Curl
You have this wood Fry and you know how stiff this guy is.


Here is the Mutant Spruce
It has bearclaw and Curl
Haven't really got at this Guy yet. Llama has to work to access. Will be in issue next year





[


Here is the White Gold Tree Also Known as the white Kermodie





And Of course our Wonderwood Product this is the wood with the highest Stiffness to Density Score Has a grain in the 30s to 50s
See also Testing results




We have been trying to replace everything we cut so we are trying to clone cutting from the Great Trees we cut and replant in the same harvesting area




And here are the results of 2 years of testing the wood.




WonderWood Spruce tested as high as the Old Adirondack and Swiss Italian Euro Spruce higher that any other wood.  Cooking your tops will give you 21% higher Q.  I believe the iron spruce will give a higher Q. when tested.

Kermodie Spruce Testing

Curly bear First Log
QE/D-an overall quality index =74
Total stiffness to density ratio =.624

 

Curly bear Second  Log
QE/D-an overall quality index=75
Total stiffness to density ratio =643

 

Tree 21 0f 70203 White Kermodie
QE/D-an overall quality index=117
Total stiffness to density ratio =.658

Wonder Wood New Tree 
QE/D-an overall quality index=93
Total stiffness to density ratio =.801

Sitka Kitmat Bearclaw
QE/D-an overall quality index=70
Total stiffness to density ratio=.435

Wonder Wood Tree 10
QE/D-an overall quality index=69
Total stiffness to density ratio=.803

Brian Burns Wood Testing Website

http://www.lessonsinlutherie.com/woodtestingandvoichirez.htm l

 

Q stands For Quality, and is an index of the internal frictional loss, or \\\"damping\\\'
of the kermodie spruce from sprucetonewood.
Higher Q wood has a longer sustaining tap tone, and turns more
string energy into sound instead of heat.
This measures how much energy is lost per cycle.
SP/GR means Specific Gravity ( how it floats on water )
The wood was also cooked at 220 for 1 hour
and even after a year still has the same Q factors.

OK so in Closing, this is my full time work and I may be confused but I think in the end the results will speak for them selves. Anyway i hope so because i put to much thought into this stuff. And keep in mind we have 33,000 cubic meters of standing timber ( 700 tops sets every 5 meters ) of which there is alot of spruce. All from the Kermodie growing area.

mario

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Thanks for that post Mario.  I have been buying some of your tops without actually knowing what the names meant, and what some of the terms (Q for example) meant.  This was a great post to help me learn a bit.  I know I have some Iron spruce and it is incredibly stiff wood!

After looking at the pictures that you and Shane have shown of the logging process and the amount of physical labor that goes into each top, I am amazed that at how inexpensive some of the wood we get is!

I believe Shane can tell you that both of us after we get the wood.
Fuel manpower and Llama power HEHEHEHE
Good wood will cost you about 300 a meters if not more. After all is said and done. And the weather can be hell.
BUGS, Saws chains Equipments and parts,  Travel, Wild Animals and Rain Snow and >>>>>>>>>>>>>
Jezzzzz sounds like the pony express eh
The tonewood must get through.
But you know what there is no better life then logging.
Its you and the wood. To me its like cutting a diamond,
Or opening a box of chocolates
but at 55 can't complain
mario

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A few comments...

Arnt....that is one wild Moose...Too bad it will be in Sweden instead of Norway.  This time of year I am thinking of reindeer meatballs and pinnekjotte as well as all of the other great Norwegian food at Christmas time...I am already preparing some...

Regarding Mario and Shane,

I have been bought and used Spruce from both of them with great results and would not hesitate to do business with either of them.  I was buying from Mario before I was aware of Shane.

I am partially responsible for making OLF aware of Shane as I had won 3 tops from him as part of the silent auction at the 2005 ASIA symposium.  Shane did not send the tops but simply donated "3 Lutz Spruce tops" which was written on a 3x5 card and was one of dozens of items in the silent auction.  Because I had bought Lutz Spruce from Mario, I knew what a deal this was and won the auction item.  I then posted to OLF how happy I was with the quality of the wood and how much potential I felt that Lutzii Spruce had compared to other woods because of the long grain and other qualities. 

All of us who have dealt with Shane have benefited by being able to buy great quality Spruce from a great guy.  Less people here may know Mario and his forum although some have mentioned their successful dealings with Mario and his forum.  There really isnt a competition between forums either...both offer good advise for those interested in building guitars and other stringed instruments.  All forums regardless of whether they are OLF, MIMF, Marios forum or others develop their own personality and culture based on the mix of contributors.  Each appeal to people for different reasons and have their own set of rules, politics, humor, etc.  I know that there are alot of us that participate in various forums.

Both Shane and Mario have touched on this but one of the reasons why we need to buy and use this wood is that there is more and more pressure on these old growth stands from construction lumber and other uses that this resource will become increasingly hard to get.  Shane mentioned that the current tree that he is working with had less quality wood than he was hoping for.  Neither Shane or Mario mention just how much wood is not luthier quality or the vast amount of labor that it takes to produce the quality wood they are able to harvest.

While I am all for a bargain the same as any other person, the fact is that I buy as high a quality wood as I can afford at the time as I know that that the same quality in the future will either be much more expensive or will just not be available.  The real competition for top quality Spruce in the area that they harvest is not Mario and Shane, it is much less responsible loggers who are using up vast amounts of old growth wood that a luthier would gladly use that instead is going to two by four lumber, paper and other lesser uses than tonewood.

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Discover on your own.
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Be a leader and own your own mind
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604 674 2250 text only