Understanding the demographics of U.S. woodturners and their knowledge of spalted wood

Abstract

Woodworkers have used spalted wood (wood decayed and coloured by fungi) for marquetry and intarsia for over 500 years. However despite the long history and ubiquitous nature of the material, the use has never been ‘mainstream,’ and little is known about the people who use it and how they value the material. This study examined the knowledge and perceptions of spalted wood by U.S. woodturners (the primary consumers of spalted wood), specifically those affiliated with the American Association of Woodturners, in order to build a framework for understanding the potential commercial value. The U.S.A. woodturning community consists mostly of men between the ages of 65–74 years old, with high education levels and high income (between $100,000 and $149,000). There was also a strong positive correlation between the number of years woodturning and the amount of knowledge about spalted wood.