304.279.0506
Unique Gifts For Kitchen & Table
The items below are available wherever Two Rivers Turnings are sold, including from me directly during November's "Over The Mountain Studio Tour" here in Jefferson County (see the complete list of our retail partners here), and we're proud to say that over the years our "unique gifts" have traveled around the world. If you are not local and in need of a housewarming, wedding, or other occasion gift from our little corner of the Blue Ridge, just give me a call and if feasible I will ship.
Charred White Oak Whskey Tumbler - $60
So why bother with a wood Tumbler in the first place? Glad you asked. White Oak is famed for its durability and flavor enhancement, which is why it is the wood of choice for the barrels that hold and age wine and dark spirits such as bourbon (beware of vessels made from other, less expensive woods; they lack the "tyloses" structures in the cells that prevent leakage and make White Oak ideal for barrel aging). Dense, strong, and rot resistant, Quercus alba is also prized for its impact on flavor, which, depending on its treatment significantly affects the taste of the spirits aged in these barrels. Briefly, the chemical compounds formed when spirits interact with the wood provide flavor -related benefits, such as filtering (when the oak is charred), additive notes including vanilla, caramel, and spice, and enhancements to the sipping experience including complex aromas.
And so, our Tumbler starts with a carefully selected solid piece of White Oak, turned on a lathe and finished to our exacting standards. Measuring 3.25" (high) x 3" (diameter), it holds approximately 4 oz of liquid and is finished on the inside with a flame induced level 1 char on the bare wood. On the outside is the same food grade penetrating oil we use on our bowls, and the look? Well, we wanted a distinctive style and who can argue with the design of the famous barrels your favorite bourbon was aged in?
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The French Tapered Rollng Pin - $45
We've designed our pin to provide the following benefits:
Control (hands are closer to and can feel dough thickness, Balance (even, continuous pressure on the dough is easy to achieve); Tapered ends: allow easy rotation and tight turns, while being gentle on the hands and wrists, and Easy Cleaning: no crevices for dough to hide in; just wipe clean. Our French Tapered Rolling Pins are crafted from carefully selected Sugar Maple and Cherry. Finished with a food-grade, penetrating oil, these pins are easy to clean and care for (instructions come with each pin). They measure a generous 19 inches (long enough to be effective with pie crusts and pizza dough, but short enough to fit inside a standard cabinet drawer), and are just under 2" in diameter along a 12 inch span, affording the user plenty of flat rolling surface before tapering at either end. We think you'll find this useful tool elegant and display-worthy (Julia Child kept hers in in a copper pot on the counter of her famous TV kitchen).
Stainless Steel Ice Cream Scoop - $45
No one likes bending a perfectly good spoon on hard ice cream, and no one likes waiting while hard ice cream softens, or worse yet (and quite possibly blasphemous) "nuking " hard ice cream in the microwave. That's why years ago we came up what is literally the last ice cream scoop you will ever need, and one that's classy enough to display in your kitchen! Our popular scoop - featured in "Taste of the South" Magazine in the summer of 2018 - features a handle of locally harvested, artfully turned fine hardwood, finished with a penetrating food-grade oil finish that with a little care will make it last a lifetime. Since we're not about to go cheap after handcrafting such an elegant handle, our scoop is a "hawk nosed" stainless steel beauty featuring a ferrule and cap that keeps moisture out of the end grain. We've sold a ton of these scoops and have gotten used to people coming back for more when they need a unique gift. Generally available in Cherry and Black Walnut (shown), White Oak, Red Oak, Wormy American Chestnut, Sugar Maple and Mahogany.
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Stainless steel Pizza/Pie Server - $45
Constructed from 304 food-grade stainless steel this generous 3 5/8' wide x 7 1/2" long server on our elegant turned hardwood handle (shown in Black Walnut; app. 4 1/4" long)) is one handsome kitchen and table tool you won't want to put away when the serving's done, and makes an excellent companion to the stainless Pizza Cutter above. Available in all the same species, subject to availability.
7 Function Ratcheting Screwdriver - $30
This is a truly handy replacement for 7 different tools; and we think it looks so good that you won't lose it. Our Red or White Oak (foreground) handles come with #1 and #2 Phillips tips and slotted tips (1 through 4 functions), a 7/16" hex driver (a 5th function), and a reversible shaft that can be used as a 1/4" or 5/16" hex driver (6th and 7th functions!), all with a convenient ratcheting feature. Really, don't ever be without the right screw or nut driver - or lose the most useful household tool you own!
Classy Coffee Scoop - $25
You love coffee and you love the look and feel of fine hardwood, and you wouldn't mind starting your day with both. This classy chrome scoop (equal to one tablespoon) with our turned wood handle is shown above in Black Walnut, just one of our species choices for that early morning, "hello darkness, my old friend" coffee moment. Typical length between 5-6 inches. We're also making these in quartersawn White Oak, Cherry and Maple and, until we've used up our dwindling supply of exotic wood,
And...End Tables!
We were turning a pedestal for a furniture-making buddy when the light bulb went off - why not make our own end tables, blending the unique figured hardwoods we like to use in bowl-making with the stately, chess-inspired pedestal we designed and have come to love. Even better, why not let our customers "mix and match" tops, bases, and pedestals, essentially collaborating with us in creating their own style? The result is our 21" tall x 16" diameter end table, perfect for that spot next to the sofa or easy chair. So far we've done table tops in figured and spalted Red Oak, Hard Maple, and Soft Maple, with Maple, Oak and Painted pedestals as shown, and Black Walnut and White Oak crotch pieces are on the way! Note: these are utterly unique table tops so no two are alike and supply is limited to what is available at any given time; call anytime (304.279.0506) or visit during November's "Over The Mountain Studio Tour" at the Shenandoah Planing Mill to see what we've got in stock. Prices start at $400.
