These are made from a log I inherited from my father, which was actually a tree I had cut down in my uncle's garden in 1987. Yew is pretty much characterised by shakes (drying cracks) and is not considered food safe, but has a beautiful colour especially when the white sapwood contrasts with the reddish gold heartwood. Yews natural oils mean it can be burnished to quite a shine even without oil or wax, but I usually finish with beeswa or a mixture of boiled linseed oil and beeswax to prevent dirt from entering the grain over time.
