The term feather is used because the pattern created by this natural process resembles a feather. The slab pictured above, was sawn from a California Claro walnut tree, estimated to be over one hundred and thirty years old. The white strip in the upper left hand portion of the slab, is a tally stick. A tally stick is used in the lumber industry as a tool for measuring the amount of board footage contained in any given piece of lumber. Burl The term burl as used in wood terminology, describes the presence of dormant buds.
Dormant buds contain all the genetic information to grow a new tree.
Why they are created by the tree and remain dormant is a mystery. Some people believe they are formed due to injury or disease. One thing is for certain, the effect these dormant buds have on the appearance of the wood after it has been sawn is truly a thing of beauty. For centuries burl wood has been considered a prized possession. In this respect trees are like oysters, not every oyster produces a pearl, not every tree produces a burl.